Painted Black
by confused-me
Summary: What happens when Scott gets a fatal disease? Follow the original Cliffhangers as they hope for Scotts survival. This story is SS but the others will feature big parts as well as two newcomers
1. Default Chapter

Higher Ground

Hello hello, it's me!

For those of you who follow my other Higher Ground story, I will still be continuing on with it. I've just missed the original cliffhangers so much that I thought, what the hell. For those of you who haven't read my other fiction before, it's called the High Life. Not that I'm promoting it in any way. Hehe!

Painted Black

Chapter 1… First Day Nerves

"Wake up, wake up", Shelby heard someone say faintly. Although she was half asleep she could only think of one person that sounded that chirpy in the morning.

"It's the first day of senior year guys", Juliet said in the same overly-happy voice. "Aren't you excited?"

While the other Cliffhangers had been happily lazing around their whole holidays, Juliet could not wait to get back into it.

"No. Why are you?" Shelby replied groggily.

"Oh, come on Shelby. Another year of paralyzing self doubt and mistrust," Daisy said in her bland but sarcastic voice. "I gotta tell you ladies. I can't wait".

"Then you more loopy than we all thought", Shelby told her pulling the covers of her bed back over her face.

"Shelby, you're just trying to be pessimistic about it", Juliet complained.

"What can I say? It works", Shelby realized she wasn't going to get anymore sleep with Juliet wining in her ear so she got up and headed to the bathroom.

"I wonder if we get any newbie's." Juliet thought aloud.

"Oh now wouldn't that just be the icing on the cake", Shelby was sarcastic as she poked her head out of the bathroom door.

"I wish she wouldn't be like that". Juliet told Daisy when Shelby had stepped into the shower and could no longer hear.

"Like what?" Daisy asked. "Shelby? You heard what she said. It works for her".

In the Cafeteria the topic of conversation wasn't very different.

"Isn't this great", Ezra beamed as he placed some bacon on his tray.

"What's great?" Auggie asked.

"A new year dawning upon us, all the clouds of uncertainty just disappearing", Ezra replied poetically as the guys sat down at there table.

"I don't know what world you're living in EZ. All my clouds just doubled", Scott adjusted his chair.

"Oh come on Jocko", David chimed in. "You were clueless from the start". Scott chose to ignore him.

"We'll be probably be getting a newbie too", Auggie realized. "Probably a girl".

"Why would it be a girl?" Ezra asked curiously.

"It wouldn't be a guy", Scott assumed. "There's way too much testosterone in the Cliffhangers already".

"Aw, and here I thought you liked it that way", David teased.

"Alright are you trying to start something?" Scott asked putting his knife and fork down exhausted from David's juvenile behavior.

"Arguments before breakfast?" a female voice said as the girls approached them from behind. "It must be senior year. Hello", Shelby sat next to Scott after giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Hey Shelb", Scott replied. Juliet also took her place next to Auggie.

"Ugh", Daisy groaned. "Young love. Makes me sick. Excuse me while I go barf", she got up and made her way to the food.

"So, does anybody know about the newbie?" Juliet asked.

"Nothin yet", Auggie answered. "But we think it'll be a girl cos Peter will try and even us out".

"Now there's something to look forward to", Shelby said sarcastically.

Scott hadn't been paying much attention to this conversation. He had been feeling a little sick over the last few days and he'd had a painful migraine.

"You ok Scott?" Juliet asked when she noticed him squinting.

"Huh? Oh I just got a bit of a headache", he answered.

"First day jitters Scotty boy?" David taunted him.

"Do you want me to give you the jitters, Ruxton?" Shelby bit back.

"Well, if you must," David quipped taking it the wrong way.

"Ugh, try your own species, Ruxton", Shelby told him tiredly.

Later on in the mess hall it was the Cliffhangers first Group meeting of the year. As they all took there seats on the couch Peter stood at the front of them with two unfamiliar faces.

"Guy's, Id like you to meet Anna Vasquez and Tom Jacobz," Peter announced. "Anna is from New York while Tom here, is from Boston. As always please make them welcome and don't make them do anything they don't want to do. Now, lets get on with it shall we. Stand in a circle. Jules, you can start, I am…"

"I am excited", Juliet said.

"Why?" Peter asked.

"Because we have two new people to get to know and we're starting senior year".

"Ok, Shelby?"

"I am…comfortable. For the first time in a while, I'm breathin' easy".

"Good, Scott?"

"I'm anxious. I barely pulled through last year, now I gotta do it all again".

"David?"

"I am… I'm having trouble grasping the concept that Scotty here is gay…"

"David", Peter warned.

"I know, I always suspected it but I never actually thought…"

"David!" Peter's tone was enough for him to stop.

As the rest of the group took turns saying how they felt Tom was dreading the part where Peter would make him speak. After all, he didn't know these people, why should he let them in on what he was feeling.

"Tom". Peter's voice stayed with Tom for a minute, before he finally worked up the courage to open his mouth.

"Uh…um…I don't, I don't want to do this", Tom hoped it would be easy to get Peter off his back, considering it was his first day.

"Ok, that's fine. I know how daunting this can be. Just bare in mind that you will have to do this sooner or later", Peter let him off. "Ok, what about you Anna?"

"Ah…ok, I am…worried", she said almost questioning Peter, asking if this was good enough.

"Why?"

"New place, new people", she trailed off.

"Ok, good. I'm going to give you all 15 minutes break, when I come back, we'll continue", Peter told them as he walked out.

Juliet was the first one to introduce herself to the new students.

"Hey, I'm Juliet. I'm your first week buddy", she told Anna.

"Hi", Anna replied a little overwhelmed. From what she could tell she was going to like Juliet, but she was still a little guarded.

"Hey", Auggie greeted Tom. "I'm your first week buddy. It basically means I gotta follow you around for seven days". Auggie could tell by the expression on Toms face that he was going to be a hard nut to crack. "Come on, I'll show you around".

To Anna, Horizon looked a lot like camp. Nothing like she pictured. There were no gates around the school or no bars on the windows. She was surprised by that and she wondered what would happen if anyone ever tried to run away. She figured it would be pretty easy considering there was nothing stopping anyone from breaking free.

"You're thinking about how much this place doesn't look like a jail, right?" Juliet walked beside her. "Yeah, that was my first impression too. We're pretty much free to do whatever we want here. I mean, as long as it's not against the rules. Peter likes us to be open so I guess he feels that… well, locking us up probably wouldn't make us trust him or want us to be open with him." Anna looked down to her feet as she walked along the dirt. She was beginning to think Juliet would never stop talking.

"Have you met Sophie yet?" Juliet asked.

"Uh yeah, she was in Peter's office when I came in this morning", Anna answered.

"So, everyone's pretty nice here, of course with a few exceptions like David and maybe Shelby. Although, I guess, Shelby has her good days. She's the blonde with the tall athletic guy", Juliet continued. "That's her boyfriend Scott. Then there's Daisy, she's a little dark, Ezra's like her side kick I guess, he's pretty cool and then there's Auggie, my boyfriend".

"Auggie? Is he the Mexican looking one?" Anna tried to sound at least a little bit interested.

"Yeah", Juliet answered and for the first time in about 10 minutes she stopped talking.

Tom wasn't sure what to think about Horizon. As he took in his surroundings he was happy to see that it wasn't like a prison, like he's father had told him. He looked around at the green cabins that the kid called Auggie had pointed out to him. The place looked like a Ski lodge or a resort.

"So Boston, huh?" Auggie said. "Yeah, I've been there once or twice, they got a good mall". Auggie was straining himself, trying to find something to talk about, but whatever he came up with, Tom didn't care. "Yeah, uh, so I guess you'll like it here, I mean, it feels weird now but soon it'll become like a second home. You leave someone special? Family? Friends? Girlfriend?"

"No", Tom said quickly.

Auggie seemed like a nice enough kid, but Tom wanted to be alone. He wasn't used to interacting with this many people even if there were only 8 that were in his group. He was the kid that always sat at the back of the class in the corner, the one that never raised his hand to ask a question because he was afraid the other kids would laugh, and the one that was so quiet he was barely even noticed. He only ever had one real friend. Jerri. She was his friend right from when they were eating paste. She was the one person that stuck beside him, no matter what happened. Even when they grew up to be teens and she started dating, she was always around. He guessed that's why he had fallen for her. It was the night of the junior prom, 2 years before, when he first realized that he liked her more than a friend. He wasn't going to go. Proms weren't exactly his thing, but Jerri had made him go with her. Looking back on it now he actually had a pretty good time up until all the drama. But he would never let her know that. It wasn't until the end of the night when Jerri had gotten drunk and was hanging off some random guy that Tom had realized his feelings for her. And when the guy was trying to drag Jerri out of the hall, that's when Tom began to get jealous. And angry. He could see that Jerri was struggling with the guy, trying to get away, but she was too intoxicated to fight. He knew he had to do something. And before he knew it, he was facing the guy. Jerri had stumbled to the couch watching in horror at the argument. Tom didn't remember how the rest happened but somehow in the next minute or two, the guy was down on the ground with a blood nose. Tom couldn't believe that he, of all people, had just hit a guy and was now the center of attention. He grabbed Jerri and the two left.

Tom often thought about that night and how it all happened. When he got to Jerri's house he asked her why she got so drunk. It wasn't like her. He knew she hated alcohol. She wouldn't say anything. She just sat there, in the car seat. Later on when he had brought her inside and laid her on her bed, she looked at him questioningly.

"Why did you help me tonight?" she asked him curiously.

Tom was surprised. "Well, you needed help; I couldn't just leave you there". He could never tell her that he was jealous.

"And that's it?"

"Well, yeah, what else would there be?" he was confused at why she was pressing this.

"Nothing, I guess", Jerri sat back down in her bed.

"Jerri, is everything alright", Tom asked.

"Yeah, I just…well I thought I saw something tonight", she told him.

"Something in me?"

"Well, yeah". Tom could have left it at that but he chose not to.

"I don't know, Jerri, you needed help, I helped you, there was nothing to it".

"Nothing at all?" she asked again hoping to get something out of him.

"What's this about?" he asked. "You get drunk and now you're questioning me?"

"I just don't get you sometimes", she told him.

"What's not to get, it's just me", he was at a loss.

"I just…all right, sometimes, I look at you and I'm just you're friend and then other times, It just feels like there's more to it than that", she said all in one breathe.

Tom was taken aback. He didn't know what to think. Was she trying to tell him something or was it just that she saw right through him and she knew somehow, that he had developed feelings for her before he even realized.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything", she sat back in her bed quietly after a minute of silence.

"No, I just, I don't know where this is coming from", Tom was holding off from telling her the truth.

"No where, look just forget about it", she covered up. He couldn't let this go. Not now when he was so close to telling her everything. Maybe if she gave him enough time to build up to it, it would all come out and she'd feel the same way.

"What would you say if I said you were right?" he asked her.

"That depends on whether this is a hypothetical or not", she answered carefully.

He hesitated. This was it. "Its not". She looked at him. There was no going back now. "The truth is, I was jealous of that guy tonight. I wanted it to be me, I mean besides the whole him dragging you and you resisting part," he started to mumble. "Look, I don't want this to effect our friendship, if you don't feel the same that's fine, we can go back to the way its always been, I don't care, I mean I do care but, you know, I'll get over it…"

Before he could finish rambling she reached up to him and kissed him. At first he was shocked. He would never in a million years have ever thought that she felt the same way. He was ecstatic. And that's how it all began. Jerri was with him till the very end, right up until his father had brought him to Horizon. He missed her already. He didnt kow how he was going to cope in this place without her.

In the mess hall, Shelby and Scott were playing a game of pool. This was the first downtime alone together they'd had all day.

"So, how was the visit home?" Shelby asked Scott. They hadn't yet discussed this even though he had been back for four days now.

"Oh, you know, I saw some old friends, got in a few fights with dad, but you know it was good to be home", Scott answered. "I tell ya what though, these headaches are killing me, I've had one everyday since I got there."

"Well, maybe you should check it out", Shelby suggested.

"Me and doctors, Shelb, we don't mix", Scott told her.

"Yeah but if you've had headaches everyday for almost two weeks, I think it might be worth it", she said. Scott looked at her and put his pool queue down. He walked over to her.

"Relax", he said simply while wrapping his arms around her. "You're paranoid". He then kissed her. "Don't worry about me ok, I'm fine".

Across the other side of the room, Tom was sitting by himself on the couch. When Anna came in, she sat down next to him.

"Hey", she greeted him. He still sat there in silence, staring at nothing in particular.

"All this is kinda strange, huh?" Still nothing. She wasn't going to give up. "The Cliffhangers are all pretty nice." He looked up at her and then down again staring at the same space as before. "Ok, well, if you need someone to talk to, you know, I'm kinda going through the same thing here so, well, I'm here", she stood there for a second waiting for a reaction. When she realized, finally that she wasn't going to get anything out of him, she left.

Later on outside, the Cliffhangers, minus the newbie's, had gathered around the picnic bench out by the field.

"Could this day be any slower?" Juliet complained. Shelby, who took the most joy out of crashing Juliet's spirits, was particularly happy to gloat about this statement.

"And still 7 long hours to go", Shelby teased.

"Hey, where are the newbie's?" David asked.

"Anna wanted to rest a bit, she's a little overwhelmed", Jules replied. "Hey, she's really nice, huh?"

Yeah, she seems cool", Auggie said.

"So where's the other weirdo", David asked.

"He's not weird, he's just different", Auggie chose his words carefully.

"Same thing", Shelby said.

"I don't know. Don't you remember when you guys came to Horizon? You were all just as quiet and probably scared as he is", Ezra told them.

"Ezra, are you sure you met us on that first day", Daisy said.

"What do you mean?" Ezra asked confused.

"Let's examine. Shelby: ass, Scott: arrogant ass, same with Auggie and David, the only people here that weren't acting like gods gift to man kind was Juliet", Daisy explained as Juliet smiled smugly.

"Well, excuse me but since you came after most of us here I don't think you have any right to comment. And as for me, I was an angel", Ezra smiled.

"And probably one of the only guys I know that doesn't quiver when being told that", Shelby quipped.

"Jealous are we?" Ezra laughed.

"Well, I still think that guy Tom, is weird", David said.

"He's just shy, give him a couple of days, he'll probably be like the rest of us", Auggie told him.

"Well, you know what they say, it's always the quiet ones", Daisy said blandly.

"Dais, you're just saying that for the point of arguing", Scott pointed out.

"Perceptive, Scott, very perceptive", Daisy teased.

"Tom", Auggie blurted out. Standing behind them all, was Tom and it looked as if he had heard everything. Without waiting another second, Tom walked off. Auggie followed. "Tom, wait. Listen, I'm sorry about that man, they're just curious, that's all, they didn't mean anything by it", Auggie told him.

"Whatever, I don't care". With that, Tom walked off leaving Auggie standing there. It was true. He didn't care. Why should he. He'd known these people for less than a day. They could make any kind of assumptions about him. They could think whatever. He didn't know these people well enough to even pretend to care.

That's it for today. Hope you like it. This chapter was a lot about Tom but don't worry this story is very much a Shelby and Scott fic. Thanx heaps. Please review.


	2. Pressure

Higher Ground

Painted Black

Wow, I didn't think I'd get that many reviews for the first chapter. Thanx heaps. Again, this chap is setting up the story so plz be patient and next chap should get into it.

Chapter 2: Pressure

It had been quite a long week for the Cliffhangers. Getting back into the school spirit had taken its toll on all. Scott was trying hard to get back into the grand scheme of things but his headaches had been getting worse and worse. Shelby was worried about him but she wasn't sure how to handle it, taking in the fact that Scott was stubborn and he had already made up his mind that there would be no visiting any doctors. As she watched Scott from her desk she was unaware that Peter had already come in to start the day.

"OK guys, settle down", he began, "We've got some work to do". He took some chalk and wrote on the board in big letters: DRUGS.

"Oh Peter please, you don't think all of us are sick of hearing how drugs can harm us", Auggie complained.

"Yeah I think that's pretty obvious", Ezra agreed straightening up in his chair.

"Relax, I agree", Peter told them. "I'm creating a debate. Should there or should there not be harsher punishment for kids who take drugs. I'm going to put you all into pairs. Guys, I want you to think hard about this. I'm giving you two weeks".

After class Scott caught up with Shelby outside.

"So Jules, huh?" he said, speaking about Shelby's debate partner. "That should give you guys some good bonding moments"; he chuckled to himself as she punched his arm playfully.

"Aren't you more worried about being placed with Ruxton?" Shelby teased. "There's only one way that partnership can end".

"I could take him", Scott joked, talking himself up.

"I'm sure you could", she laughed, "But then again…"

"Then again what?" he looked at her for a response. He enjoyed joking around with Shelby. She always came back with more no matter how much she was digging her grave.

"Well, David's tough. I mean, his had to be hasn't he?" she told him in all seriousness.

"Eh", he shrugged, "I don't want to talk about David".

"Oh yeah", she turned facing him, "What do you want to talk about?"

Scott wrapped his arms around her waist before kissing her.

Before long, Shelby broke it off. "I gotta go, I'm late for kitchen duty with Tom".

"Two more minutes?" he asked pulling her back towards him.

"I've already been late 3 times this week, peters getting pissed", she told him. "I'll see you in about an hour?"

"Yeah", he said, "Have fun".

"With Tom? I'm beginning to think his mute", she joked.

"He's just shy", it seemed like Scott had been defending Tom all week for his weird behavior. Not that he minded.

"Yeah, so they tell me", Shelby said before walking up the path.

When Shelby got to the kitchen Tom had already made a start on the dishes. She was confused about him. In her 2 years of being at Horizon she had never seen anyone who just flat out refused to speak.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I got caught up", she attempted a conversation with him. "Ok, well, I guess I'm on drying". She picked up a plate that Tom had left on the rack and wiped away the excess water with a tea towel. "So, were you always this shy? Even back in Boston?" He still said nothing. "You must have, like, a million things to say right? I mean, keeping everything bottled up like that". She realized again that he wasn't going to say anything.

As Shelby walked outside after finishing the dishes she felt a little relieved to be away from Tom. It wasn't that she didn't like him. She just didn't know how to handle him. While she was thinking about him she stepped on something that pulled her feet from under her.

"Ow, jeez", she yelped in pain reaching out for what she'd tripped on. It was a bottle of something. Pain Killers. She couldn't understand why they were out in the middle of the path, where all the kids were. She figured the nurse in the infirmary had accidentally dropped them somehow, and even though she thought that was a little negligent she decided the only thing to do would be to return them. She walked over to the infirmary and knocked on the door. As she stood there and waited it soon became evident there was nobody there. She was getting ready to leave when Scott came up behind her and slipped his arms around her, all the while kissing her neck.

"What are they?" he asked when he saw the bottle.

"I just found them, I tried returning them but nobody's in", she explained. "I didn't take any", she quickly assured him even though he never thought she would have.

"Of course you didn't", he said. "What are you gonna do with them?"

"I guess I'll give them back later", she replied.

"So guess what?" Scott quickly changed the subject.

"What?"

"Peter's setting up a football team at Horizon", Scott told her excitedly.

"What, like, set games and cheerleaders, the whole shebang?"

"Well, nothing spectacular, no cheerleaders", he explained, "Unless…"

"Forget it", she said quickly knowing he had just subtly asked her to wear pompoms.

"Peter doesn't see a reason why we cant have a team cos all the other schools around do", Scott told her.

"So, what is Peter having tryouts or what?"

"Why? Wanna join?" he asked knowing she wouldn't want to.

"No, just trying to sound interested", she joked.

"Guess what else?" he brushed it off. "I'm captain".

"You know, I would have never guessed", she laughed sarcastically catching a glimpse of him holding his head. "Oh Scott, you need to see a doctor".

"Shel, not this again, alright, its just a slight ache", he tried to justify his headache.

"Slight aches don't last for over a week", she continued. "You need to go and get them checked out".

"I told you, I don't like doctors ok", he said.

"Are you just gonna let this go on? Scott, I'm worried about you".

"So help me", he said.

"What? I'm trying to help you", she was confused by this.

"No", he looked down at her hand holding the painkillers. "Help me".

She realized straight away what he was asking.

"What…? No! No way, are you crazy?" she asked straight out.

"Just one ok, it'll be fine. Just one and they'll go away", he pressured her.

"No! I can't believe you're asking me this. What, you want to get kicked out?"

"Shelby, I'm not gonna get addicted to one tablet", he told her.

"You know that's not the point", she said.

"Look, how am I going to get anymore than one anyway. By the time this one kicks in you'll have already taken them back", he said. Shelby was at a loss. "You know I'm right Shelb".

And although she didn't know he was right she gave him one. "Ok, that's it, no more".

"Thanks Shelb".

"Yeah, look I gotta go", she raced off down the path, disgusted in herself for giving in and annoyed at him for pressuring her.

Auggie was in the mess hall catching up on his studies when Juliet came in.

"Hey", she greeted him with a kiss.

"Hey stick", he tore his eyes away from his work.

"What're you doing", she asked looking down at the pages in his book.

"Just getting ahead on this English essay", he answered putting his stuff aside ready to chat.

"Well, your already ahead. You already did this debate last year with Kat so there's a free couple of hours", she said.

"Yeah, a free couple of hours for a reading lesson".

"Well, it wont be long till you're a better reader than all of us", she told him optimistically.

"I wouldn't go that far", he said as Shelby walked into the room. Both Juliet and Auggie noticed that Shelby was angry. Even for Shelby.

"Hey, something wrong?" Juliet asked.

"No", she replied simply but it was obvious she was lying.

"Yeah you're just a ray of sunshine", Auggie commented.

"You sure nothing's up", Jules asked again.

"PMS ok", she yelled, surprising them both, "Jeez". She stormed off in the other direction.

On the field Scott was doing laps when Auggie approached him.

"Hey Scott, hold up", he called out as Scott slowed to a stop.

"Hey Aug", he panted, out of breath.

"Training for the football team?" Auggie asked.

"Yeah, you joining?"

"Nah man", Auggie said, "I think maybe I should stick to what I'm good at, you know?"

Scott smiled remembering the time when he had been practicing his catch and he had asked him and David to throw him the ball, the whole thing ending in a lot of trouble.

"So uh, I just saw Shelby", Auggie began, "She's in a bad mood".

"Isn't she always", Scott said truthfully.

"Yeah that's true", Auggie agreed.

"I'll talk to her, see what's up", he told him.

Back in the mess hall, Ezra was continuing on with his debate. He was having a bit of trouble with his argument. When Daisy came and sat next to him, he saw it as a stroke of luck.

"Dais, do me a favor, read that", he told her.

"Hey, nice to see you too", she joked.

"Please just read it otherwise Anna's gonna kick my butt", he explained. Daisy holds up Ezra's notepad and begins to read. Ezra watched her as he could always tell when daisy liked something or not due to her tell tale facial expressions. He noticed her frowning a little.

"What, what's wrong with it", he said quickly.

"Nothing", she said carefully, "Its just here, when you go off and talk about alcohol and smoking. It's just that there not exactly illicit. Just stick to the subject a bit more".

"Yeah, yeah, see that's what I thought, Just, you know, getting your opinion", he said a little embarrassed.

"Yeah", she smiled, "Sure".

On the other side of the room, Anna and Tom had chosen a corner to sit in as David walked up to them.

"Hey, hey folks", he greeted in his usual chirpy voice.

"Oh, Hi", Anna said looking up from her work. David waited for a response from Tom.

"Hey Tom", he said again. David loved teasing the newbie's. They were usually so easy but Toms 'I don't care what you think or say' nature was really starting to get up David's nose. Again Tom said nothing, so when David found a piece of paper on the floor he couldn't resist throwing it at Tom's head. But Tom didn't even look up. Instead he got an earful from Anna.

"Hey, cut it out", she told him annoyed. She hadn't talked to David much but from what she could tell he was obviously the clown.

"What? He's the one being rude", David tried to defend himself. "He wont even say Hello to his new inmate".

"Maybe you don't deserve a hello", Anna told him.

"Come on sweet heart", David said in a casual voice, "Have a sense of humor".

"I have a sense of humour, I just don't find being an egotistical moron funny", she got up and walked off out of the mess hall.

Shelby was at the gazebo thinking about what had happened earlier with her and Scott. Shed already tried to return the drugs but, again, there was no one in the infirmary and Peter was out of town for the day. She thought about giving them to Sophie or Roger but then thought better of it. It wasn't every day when a student presented them with a bottle of painkillers and told them she found them outside of the infirmary. She also didn't want to get the nurse in trouble for being so careless.

"Hey", Scott came from behind her, surprising her.

"Hey", she said unenthusiastically.

"Nice to see you too", he sat down beside her.

"Scott, I'm really busy here, ok", she lied.

"Yeah I see that", he laughed seeing that she was doing nothing. She glared at him. She couldn't believe he had already forgotten what he had made her do. Especially when it had been plaguing on her mind ever since. Soon after she wouldn't stop glaring at him he got the message.

"OK, whatever", he got up and walked off confused.

Later, the Cliffhangers are back in class. Roger had been going on and on about something or another, not that Shelby had been paying much attention. She was so annoyed about Scott. Why did he make her give him that pain killer? She realized it was only one and it couldn't have done much harm but she was still pissed at how he forced her into it. What if somebody saw? She decided she couldn't be mad at him forever. So when Roger told them it was lunch she caught up with Scott in an attempt to talk.

"Well, that was officially the most boring lesson ever", she said.

"No kidding", he agreed. He then looked at her quizzically. "Shelb, are you mad at me?"

Shelby thought what the hell. As long as he realized she was mad she might as well let him have it.

"Of course I'm mad at you", she told him, "I'm worried about you and you forced me to give you that pill".

"It was only one, and you've returned them now, right?"

She stopped and looked at him. "What's it to you?"

"Wha…? Nothing, I was just asking", he said annoyed that she had to ask. "Come on, believe me".

"I believe you", she told him.

"Good".

"I haven't taken them back yet", she told him.

"What? Well you better soon or they're gonna get suspicious", Scott warned.

"Yeah I know", she walked on, "You know you owe me big time for this right?"

"Yes, and I know your gonna hold it over my head until I've done my time", he told her reading her mind.

"Good, cos you can start tomorrow by helping me with kitchens. Daisy was supposed to be helping me but she has her review", Shelby explained.

Finally, it was lunchtime and the kids had lined up in the cafeteria, waiting to get their food. As they walked in they got the surprise of their Horizon lives.

"You gotta be kidding me", Auggie said stopping in mid step.

"Fresh bread", Daisy looked over at the trays of the other students.

"Fresh salad", Shelby said in the same surprised tone as Daisy.

"It can't be", David joined the others.

"I'm in heaven", Shelby joked.

"I'm dreaming, don't pinch me", Ezra told them.

"What is going on", Scott said.

"So, this has never happened before", Anna asked.

"Uh, no. For almost 3 years I've been living off stale bread and uncooked meat", Ezra told her. Before the others walked any further Tom pushed past and grabbed a bun.

The others followed. As they ate there fresh food Scott couldn't help but wonder.

"Hey, you think they're trying to butter us up for something?" he asked the others.

"Who cares", Auggie said as he put his fork into the salad. "This is far too good to refuse".

"Anyway, I gotta go, Peter wanted to see me", Scott got up once he'd finished.

"Yeah me too", Auggie said prompting the other guys to get up.

"Hey, coming girls", Ezra asked.

"Are you kidding, I'm going back for seconds", Shelby told them.

"Ditto", the three other girls said in unison.

"Tom?" Ezra asked.

"I gotta go study", Tom said before leaving the table.

"First fresh food and now Tom speaks, this day is just full of miracles", Shelby joked.

Its still quiet in the girls dorm as they were all still in the cafeteria. Scott crept into the dorm, knowing that they weren't there. He headed over to Shelby's bed and quietly opened her bedside drawer. As he searched through he finally found what he was after. The painkillers. He didn't want to steel them away and get Shelby into trouble but he figured she'd never know if he took one. Suddenly he heard a voice coming up the stairs. He quickly grabbed the bottle and headed out through the window before the girls came in. As they all sat on there beds, he realized he had just escaped Shelby's temper as he hid under the windowsill. He lied on the grass thinking of what could have been.

Thanx. Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

Higher Ground

Painted Black

Chapter 3: Secrets Revealed

The next morning the girls had woken earlier than usual and they had all decided to go to the cafeteria before everyone else and snag the best of the food. Shelby had stayed in the dorm, seeing this as an opportunity to get the pills back to the infirmary. She opened the top drawer of her bedside table and was angry by what she saw. She dug further into the drawer hoping they would be there somewhere. But they had gone. And she knew who had taken them. She was furious. She stormed out of the dorm and to the cafeteria, knowing Scott would already be there with the guys. As she walked in, she saw him chatting away to all the Cliffhangers, acting like he'd done nothing wrong. Which angered her more.

"Hey Shelb", he called her over after seeing her in the doorway, "I was wondering when you were gonna show".

Shelby had a good mind to yell at him right then and there, in front of everybody, but soon thought better of it.

"Yeah, we need to talk", she said blandly.

"Ok, sit down", he said unsuspectingly pointed to a seat next to him.

"Alone", she said subtly.

"Ok", he said suspiciously, "What's this about?" he asked once they were outside.

"Where are the painkillers, Scott", she asked straight out.

"What are you talking about?" he said.

"Don't play dumb with me, I know you took them", she told him.

"I didn't take the painkillers, I don't even know where you put them", he suddenly got defensive.

"Yeah, they just disappeared out of nowhere, right?" she said sarcastically.

"Maybe you lost them, did you ever think of that?" he told her. He couldn't let her know he took them. She would hate him. He figured it was time to play the trust card. "You really think I took them? You have that much trust in me, that you think I'm lying to your face?"

"Oh, don't you dare turn this around on me. I know you took them", she was getting angrier by the second. Scott decided to put an end to the argument.

"You know what? I don't need this from you. If you don't believe me so be it. But I'm not gonna stand around here and be accused of something I didn't do", he turned to walk away. But before he walked off he came back to plant more thoughts in her head. "You know, maybe one of your roommates took it, maybe they found it and got worried and took it to Peter". He hated what he just said. If he could have he would've taken it back right then, but it was too late. Now he was hoping that Shelby wouldn't figure out that if the girls did actually take it, Shelby would be expecting a visit from Peter. But of course that want going to happen.

Shelby watched him walk off, thinking about the last thing he had said. Maybe he was right. Maybe the girls had found them in her drawer and taken them to Peter. She felt like an idiot to accuse Scott when she knew so little.

"Hey Shelby, You coming to eat", Anna's voice behind her asked. Shelby turned around to face her. But she wasn't in the mood for eating now. She had lost her appetite.

"No, I'm not hungry", she told her before walking off in the other direction.

Later in the mess hall, Anna sat reading on the couch, when David came by.

"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Anna, how's it hanging", David sat down beside her.

"Its going fine", she said bluntly. She was sick of David. He really was an idiot, not to mention she hated how he gave the others such a hard time. She wasn't going to show him any degree of friendliness.

"Oh just fine? I thought you'd be beaming", he told her in his usual sarcastic tone.

"Why?" she asked not really caring.

"Well, other than my excellent company, you've been here for a whole 2 weeks. Congratulations", he said.

While Anna was trying to discover what planet David had come from, she gave him a thanks anyway.

"You know, I don't understand why where not better friends, you and I", he began. "Why is that? Do I intimidate you? Do I make you nervous?"

"You make me nauseous", she quipped.

David smiled. He liked that he could get such a reaction out of someone. He used to be able to get a good reaction from Shelby, Scott and Ezra but that had kind of worn off since they had been back for the new year.

"You know? I think you really like me", he told her.

"I'd really like to hit you", she said turning the page of her book.

"Oh, don't be ashamed, honestly, I'd be happy to fulfill your desires", he joked, the last three words sounding sleazy.

"Why are you still here then", she asked him.

"Fine", he got up off the couch, "But just remember when your finally ready to admit it, I'm here all year round".

"Oh, now that does make me nervous", she said.

Scott was at the door of his room when Shelby yelled out to him from behind.

"Shelby, I'm really not in the mood for round 2, all right?" he told her opening the door.

"Look", she sighed, walking up to him, "I wanted to apologize, I was wrong ok?"

Scott didn't know what to say. He was sure he was screwed. He figured she was giving him the benefit of the doubt without actually asking the girls about it. "What do you want me to do? Get down on my knees and beg?"

"It's a start", he teased.

"Forget it", she turned away.

"Shelby, I'm joking, come on, course I forgive you", he yelled after her. She turned back and he reached out to give her a hug.

"You know I'm only worried about you, yeah?" she told him, his arms wrapped around her.

"I know. And I get why you thought I took the pills. It was stupid, I never should have asked for them in the first place", he said. "Coming in?"

"Yeah".

"Come here", Scott said as he sat on the bed. Shelby did as he said and sat down next to him. He bent down and gently kissed her.

"Hey, just curious", he asked breaking away, "Have you asked the girls if they found the pills?"

"Who cares right? Its over", she said as she went back for another kiss.

"It's just, you know, maybe you shouldn't ask them. I mean, you don't know if they took them, and if you ask then you gotta tell them everything", he explained. "Are you sure you didn't just lose them? Why would the girls go through your drawer?"

Shelby looked up. "Scott, I didn't tell you they were in my drawer".

"Yeah, yeah you did. H-How would I know otherwise", he said nervously. He knew he'd blown it.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me. Why are you so desperate for me not to ask the girls if they found them huh?" she was on to him. He said nothing. He dint know what to say. "You asshole! You absolute asshole! Where are they?" she turned around and opened his drawer, digging through it.

"Shelb, what are you doing, I didn't take them ok?" he panicked. "Shelby, what are you doing in my drawer, they're not there". As he finished his sentence she picked up the bottle from his second drawer. She was ashamed right now. There was no other way to describe it. He had lied to her so many times in one day. First saying he had no idea where they were, then trying to pin it on her roommates, and then making her feel guilty for not trusting him. "Shelb?"

"Go to hell, Scott", she walked out of the room with the bottle in hand. Scott sat in the room, in silence. He had ruined everything with one bottle of pills. He had only taken 3. He had to get out. He got off of his bed and left the room. What he didn't realize was that David had been in the bathroom the whole time. He had heard everything.

Sophie was in a good mood today. She had been making progress with Anna and she had the feeling nothing could burst her high spirits.

"Hey Peter", she walked into his office and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Whose files that?"

"Toms. I'm just trying to figure this kid out, you know? We've never had someone like him before, he's reluctant to get to know the others, he wont talk to me or you, I mean, he barely says anything ever", Peter explained. "It's like somebody's just come by and shaken every word out of him".

"Tell me about it", Sophie agreed. "Yesterday I tried talking to him; he wouldn't even lift his head up to say Hello".

As Sophie finished, Shelby burst in to the office.

"Guys, I need your help, there's something up with Scott".

"What? Is he hurt? Is he in trouble?" Peter stood up.

"No, no, well, see he's been having these headaches lately, and they're getting worse and worse and I told him to go to the doctor but he wont, and then when I found some painkillers outside of the infirm…"

"Wait, wait, wait, painkillers?" Sophie interrupted.

"I was going to return them, they were just lying on the ground and I picked them up and knocked on the door but no one was there and when Scott came by and saw them, he forced me to give him some", Shelby hadn't taken a breath.

"You gave him painkillers?" peter said.

"It was just one, I was going to give them back as soon as the nurse was there but she hasn't been…"

"Why didn't you give them to us?" Peter asked.

"Well, I didn't want you to get suspicious and think I stole them", Shelby explained.

"Where are the pills now?" Sophie asked.

Shelby reached into her pocket and pulled them out. "Here", she handed them to Sophie. "I don't think he took a lot, the bottle's still full".

"Well, I thought you said he only took one", Sophie asked.

Shelby hesitated. "See, yesterday, he snuck into my dorm and stole them from my drawer".

"Oh no", Peter sighed.

"Please don't punish him, I just want him to get some help and go see a doctor", Shelby pleaded.

"You should have come to us first. We can't make him do anything", Peter told her.

"Peter, please", she continued.

"Look, we'll talk to him, ok, that's the best we can do", Peter said.

After a long day most of the Cliffhangers had gathered outside. They sat on the bench as a car pulled up.

"Newbie alert", Daisy said. They were curious as to who would step out. As an older man stepped and opened the back door, a bulky kid stepped out.

"Oh my god, it's the Thing", Ezra joked.

"The Thing?" Juliet had clearly never read comic books.

"You know, Fantastic Four", Ezra told her. The kid was about 6 feet tall and very muscly.

"I pity the group they put him with", David said.

"Well, its only right to return the favour, I guess", Ezra smiled.

"Freaken, do you even know what you meant by that?" David asked.

"I think what Ezra meant is that everybody at Horizon already pity's us because we have you", Daisy explained in he usual tone of blandness.

"Aw, but you still love me, don't ya Dais?" David laughed with daisy.

"I love that you choose 23 hours a day to make a fool of yourself, sure", Daisy said,

"Oh-hoh, you kill me", David chuckled fakely.

"I try", she said. As the Cliffhangers continued to laugh and joke around Auggie noticed another car pull up.

"Jeez, there rounding them up today", he commented. "Another newbie". As the Cliffhangers looked Daisy seemed to get a little uncomfortable.

"That's not a newbie", she said standing up. "That's my dad".

Scott had been called to Peter's office and there was only one think he was thinking. Shelby had told Peter.

"Peter, you wanted to see me", he said as he walked in.

"Yes. Look, I'm guessing you know what this is about. Shelby has come forward and brought to my attention that your getting a lot of headaches."

"She's exaggerating, ok? There's nothing wrong with me", Scott sighed.

"So, why did you take those pills?" Peter asked.

"She told you that", he scoffed angrily.

"It doesn't matter, the point is where worried about you Scott. All of us. And if your headaches are bad enough for you to got into Shelby's room and steal those painkillers from her drawer, then I think you need to see a specialist", Peter explained.

"I don't need a specialist, I'm getting a few headaches, I'm not dying", Scott was a little louder.

"Just think about it, ok?"

"So, what's my punishment? Shuns?"

"About that. You can thank Shelby. She pleaded with us just to let you off the hook", Peter explained.

"She did?"

"Yes she did. You can go now".

As Scott walked out of the office he saw Shelby sitting on the stairs, obviously waiting for him. When she saw him come out, she stood up.

"So… you told Peter", Scott said.

"I'd rather you hate me than something happen to you", Shelby explained.

"Shelb, I don't hate you, I could never hate you", he reached out to tough her shoulder but she pulled back.

"Scott you lied to me", she told him.

"I know. I'm an idiot ok? I am really sorry", he was genuinely sincere.

"Are you?"

"Yes, come on", he said.

"One condition", she stated.

"What?"

"You go see a doctor", she told him.

"I'm not going to see a doctor", he said boredly, tired of all this doctor talk.

"Fine", she said and walked away.

"What, so its us or some lousy quack?" he yelled after her.

"No, its us or your health", she called back not even turning around.

Scott didn't want to see a doctor. That much was clear. But not even he knew why? Maybe he was subconsciously scared of what the doctor might say.

Daisy was not yet over the shock of her dad being at Horizon, even though she had been walking with him for about an hour. She knew one thing. She wasn't gonna make it easy for him.

"I was in town for business, I thought I'd come by", he explained.

"Yeah, right", she didn't believe him. "So, what's up, daddy? You sober?"

"6 months now. I'm doing good", he stopped for a second. "6 months since that terrible accident".

"What? You mean the one where mom ploughed into a tree", Daisy said sarcastically.

"Daisy, don't be like that about your mother. I know you miss her. You know, I wanted to be there for you when she died", he began.

"Well, guess you failed there", she laughed.

"Daisy please, its true. I did want to comfort you, and make you understand. I didn't know how. And instead I pushed you even further away".

"Well, where already in a whole different country, how much further can we get? You know Australia's nice this time of year", she joked.

"Will you stop being so facetious", her father snapped. "Look, I have to go take care of some things. I'll be back tomorrow, maybe we could go for a burger or something"?

Daisy thought about this. She would kill for a real burger. "All right what the hell".

The phone was going off in Peter's office as Sophie approached the door. Peter had been in the mess hall with the kids while she was supposed to be in there answering the phone. She got to it in time.

"Hello, Peter Scarbrow's office, how may I help you", she spoke.

"Sophie? Its Katherine" the voice said.

"Katherine? Kat, that's you", Sophie said excitedly, "How are you?"

"Um, yeah, I'm good", Kat said not sounding to sure about her answer.

"How's college going?"

"Uh, its not. That's sorta why I called. Sophie, some things have happened here, uh and I was advised to quit college and come back next year", Kat said.

"But I thought you were on top of your grades", Sophie was confused.

"It wasn't my grades", Kat said carefully.

"Then what?"

"Like I said, some stuff happened, anyway the point is, I wanna come back, I've talked to my parents and they think it's a good idea. My dads gonna ring this afternoon. Please say yes", she said all in one breath,

Sophie couldn't see a reason why not, but she had to discuss it with peter first. "Tell ya what, I'll discuss it with peter, before your father rings this afternoon and we'll have your answer then ok?"

"Thank you Sophie", Kat said before hanging up the phone.

David was in the mess hall doing his debate. His partner was Scott and he was sure he was going to win this, knowing what he did. He couldn't believe the good prodigal son had stolen painkillers and gotten himself addicted. It would be so easy to beat Scott now as Scott was supposed to be on the defense side of the debate, saying how there shouldn't be harsher punishment for drug users. All he had to say was some crap about how Scott would obviously be saying this, because he's been scoffing down the pills since he'd gotten back. He didn't really want to reveal Scotts secret like this but he needed the grades and he figured it was the best way to go. He actually felt kind of bad about what he was going to do. He had done worse stuff in the past but he had to admit that Horizon had softened him.

It was later in the day and Shelby was getting some rest in her dorm when there was a knock on the door. She got up to open it but when she did, she was surprised by what she saw.

"Alright", Scott said simply.

"Alright? Alright what?

"Alright, I'll go to the doctor. I'll get checked out, whatever you want I'll do it for you", he said lazily.

"Don't do it for me, do it for yourself", she was annoyed that he wasn't taking this seriously.

"Whatever alright. Peter's got me booked in for an appointment in an hour at St Agnus. I've just been to the infirmary, they told me I should get a cat scan and a blood test", he told her.

"A cat scan and a blood test? Its not that serious is it", Shelby asked a little worried.

"No, no, its just a precaution. I'm fine", he explained. He could tell she was still annoyed with him. "Shelb, I'm sorry, for everything ok? I was told you I was an idiot. You shoulda run while you had the chance", he smiled.

She smiled back. "I've still got that chance".

"No you don't", he said.

"Oh, I don't", she laughed playing along.

"Nope, you couldn't live without me, know why?" he asked smugly.

"No, I don't. Why?"

"Because ya love me too much", he joked.

"Oh-hoh, now that's questionable", she smiled as he hugged her.

"We good?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're good", she replied.

"Good", he kissed her forehead.

Finally it was becoming near to the end of the day and Peter sat in his office, catching up on some work. He was expecting a phone call from Katherine's father. Peter was curious as to why Katherine wanted to come back, after all, she had graduated last year. As if on cue, the phone rang and Peter picked it up.

"Peter Scarbrow, how may I help you", he greeted Mr Cabot.

"Hi, this is John Cabot. I understand my daughter called earlier".

"Yes, she did. She said she wanted to come back to Horizon", Peter led the conversation.

"Yes, that's right and I think it would be a good idea. See, Kats been having some problems", Mr Cabot began. "She hasn't been coping very well at school or at home".

"Mr. Cabot, could you tell me what kind of problems she's been having?" Peter asked.

"Well, I'm sure she told you that she was advised to drop out of college until next year. The Dean thought it would be in her best interest. Look, lately she's been taking anti depressants again and I'm afraid she's having a relapse", Mr. Cabot explained. "Please Peter, we need your help".

That's it for today. Hope you like it. Please review. Next up we find out what's going on with Scott and more on Tom as well. Plus another newbie with an Aussie accent.


	4. Chapter 4

Higher Ground

Painted Black

Chapter 4: The Truth Will Set You Free

It had been a long morning for Scott and Shelby. They had been in Peter's office for what seemed like hours, waiting for the word on Scott's head scan and blood test results. Both Scott and Shelby did there best to hide there worry but both did so unsuccessfully.

Scott had tried on a brave face for Shelby's sake as well as his own. He wasn't sure what was going to happen but he knew his luck had run out when his father had decided to take him to Horizon and he found a friend in Shelby. He tried the old cliché of thinking positively and for a minute it worked, but deep down he was scared to death. But still he kept on smiling because he didn't want to worry her, especially if there was nothing wrong and all this had been a waste of time. He watched her for a moment as she played nervously with the button on her top. She looked up at him and the whole brave face façade was gone

"What's taking so long", Shelby finally said.

"Relax", Scott comforted, "It'll be fine".

"Shelby?" Sophie's voice rang out from behind them.

"Yeah?"

"I need you", she said simply.

"Cant it wait", Shelby pleaded, "I want to be here when the results come in".

"I'm afraid not", Sophie said sympathetically.

"Shelb, you can go, its all right", Scott told her. As Sophie and Shelby left the office Peter opened his door. Scott stood up quickly and grabbed the letter that was in Peter's hand.

"Do you want me to stay?" Peter asked.

"Ah, yeah, ok", Scott replied distressed. He opened the letter and began to read. As he neared the middle of the page, he suddenly let the letter fall out of his hands. He brought a hand to his mouth in disbelief.

"Scott? What is it?" Peter reached for the letter. Tears started falling from Scott's eyes. The words were there in big, bold capital letters. But neither of them wanted to believe it.

The mess hall was more or less empty as Jules walked in and sat beside Auggie who was reading on the couch.

"Hey Aug, where ya been", she asked cheerfully. "I haven't seen you in ages".

"Jules, you saw me an hour ago", Auggie looked up from his book. He didn't want to lose his spot in the book as he was half way through the 244 pager. Even though he was still quite slow, he was proud of himself.

"An hours a long time", Jules pointed out.

"Ah, yeah, what's up?" he knew she wanted to tell him something important.

"Nothing. Why would anything be up?"

"I don't know. Your acting weird", Auggie told her.

"No I'm not", she argued.

"Yeah", he said looking at her, "You are. What's going on, Twig?" Juliet rested her head on his shoulder and reached for her jean pocket, taking out an envelope. She then gave it to him.

"What's this?" he asked taking it.

"Read it", she said. He began reading the letter slowly as she waited anxiously for him to get to the important part. He then looked up at her.

"Your mom's divorcing Hal", Auggie said, "I'm sorry Jules".

She smiled. "Don't be, its not like I know him, I barely know her".

"Still you want her to be happy", he sympathized.

"Keep reading", she told him.

"We tried our best to work things out, but in the end we realized it just wasn't meant to be. Some good has come out of this. Next Tuesday I'll be coming to visit you at Horizon", Auggie stopped. "Wow"

"What am I gonna do?" Jules asked.

"Do what you always do. Hang in there. Who knows? Maybe she's changed", Auggie spoke wisely as peter came in.

"Hey guys, we're having a meeting here in 5 ok? I got a surprise for you", he told them.

As the Cliffhangers gathered around on the couches everybody was wondering what was going on. One theory was that they were going out for lunch as they had been bugging Peter about it for weeks. Another was that they were going to go on a hike and Peter was cruelly only trying to get there hopes up for something better to happen. And David's personal favourite was that Peter had organized a bus load of porn stars to visit them all and sympathize with there current states of life in a lock up facility.

"Ok guys, settle down. As you all know I have a surprise for you, something I think your all gonna like very much", Peter said as he walked in.

"Oh my god's, we're all getting KFC", Ezra joked as Daisy pushed him playfully laughing.

"Not quite Ezra. We have a new student. She's just turned 18, she's come from college, and I know that sounds weird considering this is a high school, but hey, we decided to make an exception…"

"Who is this chick, Mary Kate Olsen?" David teased. "She paying you a bit of money huh?"

"Shut up David", Juliet told him.

"What? Come on she's 18, she's in college, she's definitely screwed up, she's got a lot a money which means she's important enough to be the big surprise", David explains still making fun of the situation.

"Ok, ok, now without much more ado, Kat, come on in". As Kat walked in all eyes were on her. Juliet of course was the first one to run up and give her a huge hug, squealing as always. Then it was Daisy's turn followed by Auggie.

"Still want that KFC Ezra", she asked as she gave him a big hug.

After all the commotion the girls followed Kat to the dorms to get her settled in. All except for Shelby who still hadn't heard the verdict on Scott. She called him over as he was heading out of the mess hall.

"Hey", she said.

"Hi"

"So…?"

"So what?" he asked knowing full well what she wanted to know.

"What were the results of your tests?" she was a little put off at his lack of understanding.

"Oh, yeah, um, everything's fine. There's nothing wrong. What I expected", he said not assuring her.

She nodded her head. Now she knew something was wrong. "Scott, tell me the truth".

Scott turned around to face her. "Shelb, I'm fine. The results were fine".

A little drive from Horizon, Daisy was sitting in a St Agnus coffee shop with her dad. As he ordered the food Daisy sat at the table wondering what the hell she was doing there. She didn't want to give her dad yet another chance at the parenting thing; he'd too many goes at it before. But she still felt drawn to come. And she had a few questions about him that she needed answered.

"I'm glad you came", he sat down, putting two chocolate shakes on the table.

"Yeah well, I'd do anything to get a good burger", Daisy said facetiously as always. "And, I guess it's good to see you", she managed to get out.

"Well, its nice of you to say that", he told her. "I have something for you".

"What?" she asked cautiously as he reached into his suitcase and picked up a parcel tied with string. He handed it to her and she took it.

"It was your mothers", he said. She pulled the string and began to unwrap it. When she finished the paper revealed a book. Her mother's diary. Daisy couldn't believe what she was seeing in her hands. How could her dad think she would want this? A whole book on what her mother thought about her life and family. A whole book about how much she hated her life and family. Daisy didn't want to know.

"Dad, I don't want this" she shoved the book back over to his side of the table.

"Its ok, she wanted you to have it", her dad insisted.

"But I don't want it", she told him again, disgusted that he'd even suggest she keep it.

"But she…"

"Dad! Please!" she yelled louder than she had intended. People stared at her and her father. Daisy stood up. "Look, maybe this was a bad idea, I'm sorry", she said before leaving the coffee shop. Her dad took off after her.

"Daisy? Daisy please", he caught up to her. "I thought you might want it, I was wrong, I'm sorry". Daisy looked to him backing down.

"Just…just take me back all right", she said getting in the car.

In the girls dorm room Kat was still getting settled in. Horizon hadn't changed at all since she'd left and she was glad to be back. The place had become her home while staying here, although she did think that was a little unhealthy because she knew she couldn't stay here forever. The room was rife with chit-chat as the girls asked her question after question.

"So, why'd you come back?" Jules asked.

"Do you want me to leave again?" Kat teased.

"I didn't mean it like that", Jules covered.

"Long story short, I went through some stuff and it kinda effected how I was doing in college", she explained.

"Could you be a little more vague? You're giving way too much away", Shelby joked.

Kat smiled. "Things happen. I just couldn't…focus".

"Mission accomplished", Shelby laughed as Daisy walked in angrily. "Did something happen with you dad?"

"Yeah, something happened. He gave me my mom's diary", Daisy fell down on to her bed.

"Asshole", Shelby said dramatically. Her sarcasm was alive today.

"Why would I want my mom's diary? So I could read how screwed up her life was, how much she hated everything about herself and everyone else", Daisy told them. "God, it's sick".

"Dais, don't blame your dad, he probably thought you'd like it", Kat comforted her.

"Yeah well that just shows how much he really knows me", Daisy picked up the book from her bedside table.

"At least he's trying right?" Shelby said, "I mean, it's more than what my moms doing",

"You haven't heard from her", Kat asked and Shelby shrugged.

"You ever think maybe you got it easier", Daisy said.

Auggie had just been shooting a few hoops and was sweating as he walked back to his dorm to have a shower. He opened the door to his dorm and went to his cupboard to get some clean clothes. Then went to the bathroom and pushed the door open to find Scott hunched over by the toilet. It was obvious he had been throwing up as Auggie ran to him to help out and find out what was wrong. Scott looked up at him, wiping his mouth with some toilet paper.

"Man, what's going on?" Auggie asked.

"Nothing, man, It's just something I ate, I guess", Scott stood up trying to look like there was nothing wrong. But it was obvious he was sick. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough", Auggie said worriedly, "Seriously man, what's going on with you?"

"Nothing", Scott repeated, "I told you, it's just something I ate".

"What did you eat? A horse?"

"All right. Back off", Scott erupted. "I keep telling you, its nothing, just leave me alone". He stormed off out of the dorm. He didn't know what to do. He was so angry with everything that was happening. He needed to let off some steam. Unfortunately he saw Shelby first.

"Hey Shelby", he called her over; "I need to talk to you".

"What about", she walked up to him.

"Um, look I need a break, this isn't working for me", he told her boredly.

"Excuse me", she couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, ah, you know, we tried, it didn't work, lets just move on ok?"

"Scott, where is this coming from?" Shelby asked.

"I know it's sudden, I just um, I can't do this anymore", he attempted an explanation.

Shelby didn't know what to say. She struggled for the words before realizing there were none. So she walked off, hiding the pain she was feeling, not even a tear falling from her eye.

Kat, Jules and Anna were walking around the campus.

"It's so good to be back", Kat said breathing in the fresh mountain air.

"Well that's a first. Most people try there hardest to stay away", Jules laughed.

"Oh yeah, name one person", Kat smiled.

Juliet thought for a moment. "David", she said simply.

"David? Believe me, he's definitely happy to be here", Anna told her.

"What makes you say that", Juliet asked.

"David craves attention. Attention he never got back at home. Now he has all these people trying to help him. He's loving every minute of it", Anna explained.

"She's right. Can you honestly say that this place hasn't become a huge part of you", she stopped suddenly in mid step.

"What", Jules saw that she had come to a halt. Then she looked in the direction that Kat was looking. Hank stared straight at Kat in disbelief that she was back.

"Constable", another officer called Hank to get in the car. Hank opened the door and got in before driving off.

Back in the girls dorm room Shelby sat alone on her bed as Daisy walked in.

"Ah, another glorious day at Horizon. Full of controversy", Daisy said as she took off her shoes. Shelby said nothing. "Something wrong?"

"Nope. Nothing", Shelby replied. Daisy wasn't buying. "Scott and I broke up".

"What? Why?"

"Who knows? It was gonna happen sooner or later though, right", Shelby jumped off her bed and walked into the bathroom.

By noon that day, Horizon was buzzing with the gossip that Scott and Shelby were over. Auggie caught up with Scott as man in question was doing laps around the oval.

"Hey, muchacho, I just heard about you and Shelby, I'm sorry, man", he said.

"Why? I'm not", Scott said coldly. "Wasn't working out, what was I gonna do, you know?" Auggie was confused by how much Scott didn't seem to care.

"What's up with you man?" he asked for the third time that day.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean first with the headaches, then I see you being sick in the bathroom, your attitude stinks and now you break up with the one person here that understands you", Auggie let him have it.

"Not this again", Scott scoffed, "I got a few migraines. So what? Is it that unheard of to get a few headaches every now and then? I already told you I ate something weird. You think my attitude stinks, well, what do you expect when all hear from everyone these days is how they think there's something wrong with me, and as for Shelby? That's none of your damn business", he said before speeding up and leaving Auggie even more worried.

Kat had been packing up some boxes in the sports shed when Hank appears.

"Hank", Kat said.

"Hi, Katey", hank greeted her. They stared at each other for a minute.

"Shouldn't you be at work", Kat broke the silence.

"I'm on a break", he told her.

"Oh", Kat didn't know what else to say. She was lost for words. "You wanna go for a walk?"

"So, I uh, saw you yesterday", Kat made small conversation while they walked around by the docks.

"Yeah, I saw you too", Hank replied. Kat smiled struggling again for what she was going to say next. She hoped Hank would come up with something they would talk about but he never did.

"Horizon hasn't changed", she said.

"Nope", he said simply.

"I missed it here. Everything in the city is so dusty and grey but here it's…" she trailed off.

"Yeah, I know what you mean", he said.

"So how have you been?"

"You know? I've been", he said bluntly. "What about you? Why are you back?"

"Things didn't work out at home, or college", she said again not giving much away.

"What? It was too hard for you?"

"No it, it just didn't work out", she hoped he wouldn't push this.

That afternoon it was finally time for the big debate. Ezra and Anna had already had there turn, Anna winning by one vote. Now it was time for David and Scott. David was ready. He had been waiting for the moment when he would reveal Scotts dirty little secret.

"Get ready Scotty boy, cos your gonna lose", David lent back in his chair to face Scott.

"You may wanna eat your words, Ruxton", Scott told him disinterested.

"Am I late, what did I miss", Kat rushed in and sat down besides Juliet.

"Right on time for Scott and David, what took you so long", Jules asked.

"Oh, you know", Kat said not bothering to elaborate. But Juliet did know.

"So, who side are we on, David's or the Golden boy", Daisy asked Shelby.

"Personally, I hope they both fall on there ass", Shelby replied still a little angry.

"I'm with Shelby", Auggie chimed in.

"You're not betraying the brotherhood there are you", daisy joked.

"Scott's been loco lately, something needs to bring him back down with the rest of us", Auggie commented.

"Hey Anna", David lent over to his side, "Wish me luck".

"Break a leg", Anna said blandly.

"Oh, thank you", David said.

"I think she meant that literally, moron", Shelby pointed out.

"Hmm, well I guess it's just as well I'm not gonna need any luck then, huh?" David said.

"Ok, ok, settle down, we have a lot to get through today. David, Scott? Your up", peter announced as he came and sat at his desk in front of the class. David and Scott stood up and took there places.

"56 of all Canadians have at one time taken an illicit drug", Scott began, "And sure that's a pretty large amount but we're asking if we should enforce harsher punishment for drug users. My answer to that is no. Because people are always going to take drugs. There is no stopping it. Why? Curiosity".

"Hey loser, we're talking about drug users, not just a casual toke up at a party based on curiosity", David said.

"Why is that any different? People try drugs for the first time, they decide they like it and before long, their addicted", Scott told him.

"Ok, guys, Scott, continue with your argument", Peter controlled them.

"Alright let me play along for a moment", Scott began", say the harsher punishment is enforced and you're caught with heroin and you get sentenced to 6 months. You think that's really gonna stop the intake of illicit drugs all together. No way. Sure it might freak some people out. But let me ask you this. How many people do you know who think they'll never get caught? So, yeah, maybe this harsher punishment will work out for every 1 out of 5 people. But guarantee it, give it a few years and we'll be right back where we started. You tell us not to do something; we'll do it just to spite. We all know drugs are bad. But that's not gonna stop us. We've all heard that stupid cliché that your parents tell you. You have to try everything once. Sure when my mom said it to me she was talking about broccoli. But that doesn't matter to kids. Because the sad fact is, kids are stupid. No, actually, people in general are stupid."

"Wait, wait, that's your argument? People are stupid?" David laughed.

"For example", Scott continued, "Murderers. They can get put away fro anything, from 6 months to life. Back in the day they even got the death penalty. But did that stop all the killings? No. There are maybe 3 explanations as to why they kill. 1. They're psychos. 2. They're desperate. Or 3. They think they'll never get caught. My conclusion? Cops can easily lock people up. But drugs are always gonna be there. And people will always find a way to use them. So again, my answer to enforce a harsher punishment for drugs is no".

"Well of course it is. A drug addict like yourself, why would you want a harsher punishment for drugs huh, Scotty boy?" David began his argument.

"David this is a debate lets not make it personal", Peter told him.

"But it is personal Peter. I'm only looking out for the wellbeing of my friend", David said.

"Ruxton, what are you talking about?" Scott asked angrily.

"I'm talking about painkillers, Scott. Illegal? No. Dangerous to an abuser? Absolutely", David was enjoying this way too much. Scott and Peter realized what going on. "And that is exactly what a student here has done, folks", David turned to his audience. "But listen before I go into anymore detail, I wanna hear my opponents thoughts, whattaya say Scotty boy?"

"David, you don't know the full story here, ok, this is way too personal…" Peter was interrupted by Scott.

"You know David; I could hurt you right now, really bad if I wanted to. But what I'm gonna tell you will probably make you feel much worse. You see I did take those painkillers. For headaches!" Scot yelled as Shelby watched confused at what was happening. "Aug, you saw me throwing up before? Headaches, throwing up, feeling sick all the time? What does that tell you? I'm sick all right. I've been diagnosed with a brain tumor and I don't know, if I'm gonna live or die." Scott was crying now along with a group of the cliffhangers. Shelby couldn't take it anymore. She needed some air. She stood up and left the class room, Scott watching her leave. "So, David, unless you have anymore little secrets on me that I don't even know about, I suggest you do some research, next time, get your facts straight, instead of jumping to conclusions. Excuse me", he walked out of the room. He didn't want to have to tell Shelby like this. He wanted to wait until he knew for sure what was going on with him. But now because of David, it was too late. He had to go and find her.

Shelby sat down at the docks by herself, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't believe it. When was this going to stop? Her whole life she had been fighting for things and now finally she felt like she had found her place and it had been taken away from her yet again. After thinking this, she felt selfish. She thought about what Scott had gone through. All his life he had been fighting, clinging on to a thread and now finally she knew it could be his time to let go forever.

"Shelby", she heard a voice and as the mist cleared she saw Scott. She looked down again onto the wooden boards she was sitting on. "Your not gonna say anything", he asked.

"What's to say?" she sobbed, "I'm sorry you might not be alive for much longer, I'm sorry you could die, I'm sorry your whole life has been so screwed up", she yelled at him irrationally.

"Not my whole life", he sat down beside her. She looks down again and quietly sobs.

"Hey, its going to be ok, all right, we don't know anything for sure", Scott tried to comfort her.

"We know you have a brain tumor, Scott", she said. He watched her as he brushed her hair out of her sobbing eyes. She flinched before standing up. "I can't be here, I gotta go, I just, I need to be alone", she walked away. Scott sat there empty. He didn't blame her for feeling the way she did. He knew she was just upset and she just needed some time to get used to the idea. But he couldn't think of any of that right now. All he could think about was what she had said. "I'm sorry you might not be alive for much longer, I'm sorry that you could die". He put his head in his hands and let everything out, tears streaming down his face. He was 17 years old and he had been through more than an everyday 40 year old..

Ok, hope you liked it. Next up Scott starts his treatment in hospital

Note- The percentage of drug takers in Canada could be wrong but when I researched I got a whole lot of different results. Until next time.


	5. Chapter 5

Higher Ground

Painted Black

Chapter 5

It was the morning after everybody had found out about Scott and his condition. Group was about to start. The Cliffhangers sat glumly in the mess hall waiting for Peter, no one bothering to talk. As Daisy looked around she realized that there were two people missing. Scott and Shelby. She figured Peter had let them both skip group for today so they could get some alone time to sort things out, even though it wasn▓t completely following the rules of Horizon. She still hadn▓t come to terms with the fact that Scott was sick. In fact she▓d spent the majority of last night trying to think of some excuse that would imply that there was a mistake. And although she could come up with quite a few she knew that she was just in a state of denial. As Peter came in, none of the Cliffhangers greeted him as they normally would. Most of them were still in a state of shock and didn▓t know what to say or think.

⌠Ok, guys. I know this is tough, but I think it▓s important that we have group today■, Peter began. ⌠I get that you guys all feel like the world is on your shoulders but life has to go on■.

⌠Maybe not for Scott■, Daisy blurted out.

⌠Daisy, don▓t say that■, Jules said not wanting to think about weather or not daisy was right.

⌠Wake up Juliet■, Daisy yelled, her anger building up from the night before, ⌠He has a brain tumor. We all know that▓s a death sentence■.

⌠That▓s not true, ok■, Kat told her. The other Cliffhangers had obviously begun to get fueled up by Daisy▓s outburst. ⌠Plenty of people get through what Scott is going through■.

⌠Plenty of people don▓t■, Tom interrupted. It was unlike him to speak his opinion but clearly Kat had hit a nerve.

⌠Wow, you do talk■, David commented. Tom looked away, not bothered to care about David▓s teasing. ⌠Guess it comes in blocks huh?■

⌠Shut up David■, Anna said. ⌠You shouldn▓t even be talking right now■.

⌠Oh, right so this is all my fault■, David said.

⌠Yo, if the shoe fits, man■, Auggie jumped in.

⌠Yeah, I made Scott get a brain tumor■, David said sarcastically. ⌠Look, I▓m sorry for what I did, alright. I didn▓t know. I just thought he was addicted again■.

⌠And that makes what you did ok, does it?■ Ezra said.

⌠What do you want me to say, huh?■ David was getting irritated, ⌠I▓m sorry, ok, I▓m sorry. I can say it a hundred times but its not gonna make a difference. To me or to you. I screwed up and I feel bad enough as it is without you guys on my back■.

⌠Oh, so you do have a heart after all■, Daisy said blandly.

⌠Ok, guys, cool it, this isn▓t going anywhere■, Peter finally put a stop to the arguing, ⌠Now the sooner we get this done, the sooner you can go. Daisy we▓ll start with you, I am┘■

Daisy scoffed. ⌠This is pointless■.

⌠Daisy■, peter warned...

She rolled her eyes. ⌠I am┘empty■.

⌠Ok, Juliet?■

⌠I▓m lost■, Jules stated quietly.

⌠Ezra■

⌠I am confused■, Ezra couldn▓t understand why all this bad stuff had to keep happening to him and his friends.

⌠David■, peter said, ⌠Go ahead■.

⌠I▓m┘ I▓m angry■, David said.

⌠Of course you are■, daisy scoffed again facetiously.

⌠Why can▓t I be■, David asked.

⌠Because you don▓t deserve to be. You don▓t deserve to be anything■, Daisy replied.

⌠Well I am. I▓m angry at myself■, David said sincerely. ⌠But you know what Daisy, you can blame me all you want, I don▓t care. Or you could just admit that you▓re just trying to pass the buck on to someone because you can▓t handle the fact that there is no one to blame. This is no ones fault■.

⌠Yeah, ok■, Daisy said in her usually tone of sarcasm.

⌠No Daisy, he▓s right■, Anna chimed in. ⌠We can▓t blame him. We▓re looking for someone to take this out on. And David just happens to be the easy target. Sure what he did at the debate was a shitty thing to do, but guys, face it. Do any of us really care about that? I mean really?■

⌠Nice speech■, Daisy said, ⌠But it doesn▓t change the fact that our best friend is slowly dying and there▓s nothing we can do about it.■

⌠Maybe not■, a cracking voice said from the corridor. It was Scott almost in tears with Shelby by his side. Part of him was still in denial about his tumor and it was the first time he had heard somebody actually say that he was dying. It hit him hard. He decided to walk off before anybody would see his weakness, even though he knew that had already been seen.

⌠Job done■, Shelby said sarcastically as she clasped her hands together in a ▒bravo▓ gesture.

A little later that day, Anna found David sitting by himself. He had been sitting at the gazebo ever since the incident that morning, thinking to himself what it would take to make it up to Scott.

⌠Hey■, Anna sat down next to him as he looked up acknowledging her before turning away again.

⌠Well, if it isn▓t Horizons very own Golden Girl■, David said in his cheerful tone that hid his real feelings.

⌠You ok?■ she asked.

⌠Peachy keen, and you?■ he replied enthusiastically.

Anna smiled. ⌠You know you don▓t have to do that whole thing. I see right through it■.

⌠Oh, we have a psychic in our midst do we?■

⌠I know your hurting■, she told him.

⌠Stop, you▓ll make me gag■, he said before she started the whole sentimental thing.

⌠You know, you brought this on yourself■, she said.

⌠Thank you, kick a guy while his down■, he joked.

⌠Well, the gently approach didn▓t seem to be working■, she admitted. ⌠Do you like being hated? I mean, haven▓t you ever just wanted to get along with everyone■.

⌠Well, now that would just be boring would it?■

⌠Stop it, would you? I told you before, I see right through your little act■, she repeated.

⌠Oh right, I forgot. Your psychic abilities■, he laughed. ⌠So tell me, Anna, what do you see?■

⌠I see you■, she said simply. ⌠The real you■.

⌠And■ he scoffed.

⌠And your scared■, she told him.

⌠Well now you got me there■, he said. ⌠I▓m terrified of this conversation■.

⌠Wow, the truth■, she teased.

⌠That was a joke■, he told her.

⌠I guess it could have been, but I don▓t think so■, she began, ⌠You see because that was a somewhat unseccessful joke to cover up the truth. And the truth is, you▓re scared. You▓re scared that somebody might find out that you▓re not as strong and hard ass as you think you are, you▓re scared that eventually someone might try to get close to you, so you alienate them with your insane ability for sarcasm and jokes to try get them to back off. And I know damn well, that you are scared of this conversation because you know that I am right■.

David looked at her quizzically. ⌠Ok, let▓s just go along with this for a minute. If all this is true, and I▓m not saying it is, what on earth possessed me to screw Scott over at the debate? I mean I don▓t think I have any problems with him getting to close■.

⌠That▓s something you're gonna have to figure out by yourself■, Anna said.

⌠Wait, let me get this straight. You can tell me everything that▓s wrong with me, but you don▓t have any answers?■

⌠Oh, well that shouldn▓t be anything to worry about. After all you don▓t have a problem, right■, she teased.

⌠Now, I never said I didn▓t have a problem. I know I▓ve got a problem, that▓s why I▓m here.

⌠You▓re saying I▓m right?■ she asked.

⌠I never said that either■, he laughed. He was beginning to feel comfortable around Anna. ⌠Look, I know I▓m screwed up. I▓m weird you know? Too many knocks to the head I guess■, he joked.

⌠Ok, David, look, I▓m sorry to kick you while you▓re down again. But, well have you looked around lately? You▓re in a school full of screw ups. You▓re not special. There▓s no excuses for treating people the way you do, because we▓re all in the same boat here. Now get up, its time for lunch■, she stood up and began walking

⌠Hey Anna■, he called as she looked back at him, ⌠Thank you. Not just for this but for this morning too. You didn▓t have to stick up for me like that■.

⌠Any time■, she smiled. Although David wouldn▓t admit it but he knew that Anna was right about everything. But he still blamed himself for Scott. He knew that it wasn▓t possible for Scott▓s tumor to be his fault, but he, like the others, needed someone to blame.

After lunch Juliet sat down by herself thinking as Auggie decided to join her.

⌠Hey■, he greeted her.

⌠Hi■, she said back.

⌠You holdin up ok?■ he asked looking around at the people talking in the mess hall.

Juliet shook her head admitting that she wasn▓t coping at all. ⌠I keep wondering why this is happening. It just doesn▓t seem fair■.

⌠He▓ll get through it■, Auggie comforted her. ⌠You know Scott; he▓s the strongest guy we know■.

⌠That▓s what I told Shelby■, she said helplessly, ⌠We▓re all kidding ourselves Aug. Whatever▓s meant to happen will happen. Scott can▓t change that by being strong■

Auggie knew she was right. As they sat in silence, thinking about everything, Juliet suddenly remembered that her mother was arriving today.

She quickly kissed Auggie before running off to get ready.

Outside Kat and Hank were walking by the pier. They hadn▓t talked much since Kat▓s return as Hank was busy at the station.

⌠I just can▓t believe this is happening■, Kat began, ⌠It just doesn▓t seem fair■.

⌠I know how close all you guys are■, Hank looked out at the water running below them.

⌠God, it sucks, you know. Scott▓s been through enough already, when is it gonna stop■, Kat spoke with pure anger. ⌠And Shelby, I can▓t even imagine what she▓s going through right now. She finally gets her life back on track and now she has this to deal with■.

⌠Well, she has you guys for support. She▓ll be ok. And as for Scott, that guy if nothing else, is strong willed, he▓s starting his treatments tomorrow, I▓ve heard that clinic is great, you know he can get through this■, Hank comforted her. Kat looked at him and realized that she had been going on and on about Scott.

⌠I▓m sorry for dumping all this on you■, she said still looking at him.

⌠Kat you know you can come to me for anything. I▓m always gonna be here■, he reassured her. Again she peered up to him. She knew he would do pretty much anything for her. She had just forgotten how much that was. As she began to lean in, he met her in the middle as they shared a tender kiss.

⌠I missed that■ Hank commented.

⌠Me too■, Kat smiled.

⌠Mind if I do it again■, hank asked cheekily.

⌠Not at all■, she said playfully as they kissed again

Juliet watched as her mother pulled up the driveway. As usual when her mom arrived, Juliet was worried about what would happen. Peter came down the path to greet her mom as she began getting out of her new black BMW.

⌠Miss Row■, Peter shook her hand.

⌠Oh please, Miss Bowers■, she insisted. Juliet started to straighten herself up by checking that her clothes weren▓t dirty and sucking in her imaginary fat. She then walked over to Peter and her mom.

⌠Hi, honey■, her mom pulled her into a warm embrace.

⌠Hi mom■, she greeted.

⌠How are you? Have you been watching your weight?■ Miss Bowers asked her daughter as Peter gave a discreet disapproving look.

⌠Yes mom■, Juliet answered boredly. It had become a ritual for Miss Bowers to ask about her weight and for Juliet to have to say yes.

⌠Ugh■, Miss Bowers sighed, ⌠The ride up here took forever; honestly I▓m so glad to finally be here■. Juliet was used to her mom▓s chirpiness. That was where she got hers from, but for some reason Juliet was very uneasy about it all. ⌠Oh honey, it▓s so great to see you■. Miss Bowers pulled Juliet into another hug. Something was different about her mom. She seemed genuinely happy to see her daughter which was a first. As Juliet thought more about her changes, Auggie walked passed and waved. Juliet waved back, gesturing him to come and say hello. Auggie did so unwillingly.

⌠Mom, you remember Augusto?■ Juliet said.

⌠Oh, yes. Hello■, Miss Bowers quickly brushed the boy off and led Juliet to the couch.

⌠Mom, I was trying to introduce the two of you■, Juliet whined.

⌠Yes, and you did■, her mom said bluntly.

⌠You don▓t like Auggie?■

⌠Well, its not that I don▓t like him, I▓m sure he▓s a nice boy. I just┘ well, honey, he▓s not in our class is he■, Miss Bowers laughed. Juliet was horrified at how horrible her mother could be.

⌠But I like him■, Juliet pushed.

⌠Oh, of course you do honey, in a place like this you need all the friends you can get, but in the real world, you have all the friends you need, and you certainly don▓t need him■, she explained harshly.

⌠But I do need him■, Juliet told her.

⌠And that will pass■, Miss Bowers said calmly.

⌠But mom┘■

⌠No buts, I know what I▓m talking about┘■

⌠Mom, Auggie▓s my boyfriend■, Juliet blurted out. Her mom looked at her in shock, her eyes wide open. And for the first time since arriving, Miss Bowers had nothing to say.

In the St Agnus Diner Daisy and her father had settled down for lunch. Daisy didn▓t want o be there but she figured she▓d do anything to get her mind off everything that had happened. Although it didn▓t seem to be working.

⌠I▓m glad you could join me again. After last time I didn▓t want to leave it like that■, Mr. Lipanowski explained.

⌠What?■ daisy was pre-occupied.

⌠Nothing, I was just saying how happy I am that you agreed to see me again■, her dad told her.

⌠Oh■, Daisy played with her food rather than eating it.

⌠Daisy, is everything ok■, he asked, ⌠You don▓t seem like yourself■.

⌠I▓m fine■, she answered.

⌠You▓re sure■, he asked.

⌠Yeah■.

⌠Ok, shall we order? You want a bacon deluxe?■ he changed the subject. ⌠Daisy?■

⌠huh■

⌠Daisy. Has something happened back at Horizon? What▓s going on?■

Daisy smiled sarcastically. ⌠What▓s not going on Dad?■ And with that she found herself telling him everything. How much it hurt her to be around him, how much she missed him and her mom, she even opened up about Scott. She told him how Scott had come clean and told everyone at the debate that he had a brain tumor and how Shelby cried every night but she didn▓t know what to do to make her stop. And all the while, Mr. Lipanowski just sat and listened, occasionally sharing some advice.

Scott dangled his feet in the water as he sat on the dock. Any minute now it was time to go to the clinic that everybody had been telling him was so good. He didn▓t want to listen tom them. He didn▓t want hope. He figured if he had hope he had something to hold on too and he didn▓t want that, because then it would be even harder to leave. As Shelby came and sat next to him to tell him it was time, he decided then that he would cut his ties with Horizon.

⌠Do me a favor, huh?■ he asked her, ⌠Don▓t visit me after today■.

⌠But I want to■, Shelby pleaded.

⌠I don▓t want you to■, he told her, ⌠It hurts way too much and I don▓t want you to have to see me when I start to get really bad.■

⌠But how do you know you▓ll get bad■, Shelby asked.

⌠I▓m doing Kemo, Shelb. The doctors have told me they won▓t be putting me on radiation therapy. I▓m gonna be cranky and tired and upset. I▓ll barely be able to stand. I don▓t want you to see me like that■, he told her again.

⌠Ok■, she finally said unwillingly. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized the full extent of Scott▓s condition. She wanted so much to be there for him but now it was virtually impossible.

People came out from every door to see Scott off. He had become a valuable member of the Horizon community and it was going to be hard for everyone to see him go through what he was about to. The Cliffhangers especially. They would be the only ones to see him again after this short goodbye as they were going to be there at the clinic for the first day, helping him settle in. Peter figured it would be easier fo9r the Cliffhangers if they saw the help that Scott was going to get. He didn▓t know yet, what Scott had told Shelby before he left for the clinic. That he didn▓t want anybody to see him in the clinic. Juliet was the first to climb in the mini bus, hugging Scott as she jumped in. As the others followed, Scott climbed into the passenger seat, next to Peter. Shelby was the last person to get in. As she sat in the seat behind Scott, she went to kiss him, give him a sign that things will be alright but Scott moved his head away. She slumped down into her seat worried and upset. Scott wanted to kiss her so much, he wanted her to reassure him that if nothing else they still had each other, but he knew that if he kissed her he wouldn▓t be able to leave her. It was hard enough seeing her.

At the clinic Scott was led to his room by a nurse. The others were sitting restlessly outside, waiting for the ok to go in.

⌠So, this is it. You▓re new home■, she said as she opened the door. The room was everything he▓d expected. Peach colored walls, white sheets on the hard wooden beds, ugly pale green curtons. The room was every bit like a hospital. On the second bed sat a boy, about his age but looking much older. He looked tired and thin with thick circles around his eyes. ⌠Oh, this is your new room mate■.

⌠Oh, it▓s Matty■, the boy stood up and held his hand out to shake. ⌠Matty Peterson■. Matty was a typical happy go lucky teenager which Scott thought was strange considering his illness. As the nurse left, Scott chucked his suitcase on his bed.

⌠So you▓re from that school, right? Mount Horizon High?■ Matty asked curiously. Scott nodded. He didn▓t feel like talking.

⌠What were you in there for?■

⌠I don▓t wanna┘■

⌠How long have you been there?■ Matty interrupted. This kid didn▓t look like he had a lot of energy but his attitude would tell you otherwise.

⌠About a couple┘■

⌠Wanna play cards?■ he interrupted again, changing the subject entirely. Scott started get a little annoyed. He▓d known the kid for two seconds and already he knew he couldn▓t live with him for however long he was going to be in here.

⌠nah, I▓m ok■, Scott answered.

⌠Board game? I have Scrabble, Monopoly■

⌠I should really get unpacked■, Scott told him.

⌠Yeah, you▓re probably right■, Matty finally lay down on his bed. He pulled out his head set and sat back, listening to music. Scott grew more annoyed as he could here the music blaring.

⌠Could you turn that down a bit?■

⌠Oh, sorry man■, Matty apologized as he turned his head set down. Scott sat on his bed overwhelmed by what was happening. He pushed his suitcase off and lied over his bed. He buried his head in his hands, his fingers combing his longish curly hair. He promised himself he wouldn▓t let a tear pass his eye. Then he heard a noise. As he looked up he realized that Matty was now singing the music from his headset. Scott grabbed his pillow and buried his head in it trying to block out the sound. He knew that this was going to be very long month or two.

In the Daisy was seated y herself as Ezra came up with decaffeinated coffee.

⌠Well hello there■, Ezra Sat down next to her and gave him one of the coffee▓s.

⌠Hello■, Daisy took the coffee

⌠What ya doin▓■,Ezra asked.

⌠Oh just sitting here clinging on to what▓s left of my sanity■, Daisy joked.

⌠Gets that way, huh?■ Ezra said. They sat in silence for a minute. ⌠I feel so hopeless, you know I wanna do something but there is nothing■.

⌠Pray■, Daisy said wisely.

⌠I▓m not really a big believer Dais■, Ezra told her.

⌠You▓ve got nothing to lose■, she said simply. As Ezra thought about that for a bit, Daisy tried to think of something else to talk about.

⌠I saw my father yesterday■, she told him.

⌠How▓d that go■, Ezra asked.

⌠It was┘ interesting. I found myself telling him everything, you know. I don▓t even think I▓ve admitted some of the stuff I said to him, to myself yet■, she said. ⌠I think we might have actually bonded. Shock horror, huh?■

⌠I don▓t know, he is your dad. It had to happen sooner or later■, Ezra wasn▓t surprised.

⌠Well your relationship with your parents isn▓t exactly rosy■, she defended herself.

⌠It will be■.

⌠What? You▓ve decided to let bygones be bygones■, she laughed.

⌠No. I▓ve still got a couple of years of teenage rebellion to go yet■, he joked. ⌠Sooner or later, we all have to grow up, forget about what▓s happened in the past. Think about the future. I don▓t wanna be fighting with my parents when I▓m 50■, he took a drink of his coffee.

⌠It▓s different for you EZ. Your parents love you. No matter how screwed up you are. My dad, he▓s pretty much neglected me for the past 16 years of my life■, she explained.

⌠Dais, he▓s trying. That▓s really all you can hope for■, Ezra said.

In the clinic▓s cafeteria Anna was at a table munching on a donut when David sees her. He walks over to her and sits down.

⌠Don▓t tell me the golden child has slipped from her pedestal■, he teased.

⌠What?■ she said wiping some icing from her bottom lip.

⌠Last I heard we weren▓t allowed sweets, especially chocolate covered donuts what with the sugar and caffeine■, he joked.

She looked at him with a smile. ⌠I won▓t tell if you won▓t■. She eyed up another donut telling David to have it. He smiled and picked it up, taking a bite.

⌠So, when are we going to be doing the big psycho analysis on you?■ he asked.

⌠Excuse me■, she was confused.

⌠Well, I figure you know everything there is to know about me, I think it▓s your turn to be in the question seat■, he explained.

⌠But you didn▓t tell me anything. I just worked it out by myself■, she said.

⌠You want me to guess?■

⌠You can do whatever you want, I▓m just enjoying my donut■, she smiled. She couldn▓t believe it. Was he flirting with her? Was she flirting with him? He looked at her questioningly.

⌠I can▓t get a read on you■, he told her thoughtfully, brushing aside the jokes for a minute. She smiled at him. He smiled back. ⌠Come here■.

⌠Why?■ she grinned curiously.

⌠Just come here■, he repeated. She cautiously came forward, leaning over the table towards him. He was leaning towards her as well, the two meeting in the middle. Anna still had no idea what was going on.

⌠What are you doing?■ she asked laughing.

⌠You got a little something here■, he moved in to make up the distance between them and gently kissed her. She immediately pulled away.

⌠Why did you do that?■ she asked shocked.

⌠What?■ he smiled.

⌠You kissed me■, she said confused.

⌠Yes■, he replied not realizing that he had done anything wrong.

⌠Why▓d you kiss me David?■ she asked.

⌠Well, I wanted to■, he was beginning to see that she wasn▓t impressed as his smile faded.

⌠I gotta go■, she stood up and left.

⌠Anna, wait■, David stood in the cafeteria. Great! The one person he didn▓t want to alienate was alienated. He wondered why he always did stupid things. Then he realized that that was exactly why he did the things he did. He just couldn▓t help it. One way or the other he was going to piss everyone off so he figured why not get it over with. Except with Anna he▓d really tried to better. Just like he had wanted to with his father. But yet again he had blown it.

Tom was by himself trying to sort out some of the things that were going through his head. This was all too familiar with him and he didn▓t like it. Auggie had been with Juliet most of the day but when Juliet wanted to go find Shelby and comfort her he had found himself alone with nothing to do except ponder his thoughts. When he saw Tom sitting by himself he figured he▓d go and talk to him.

⌠Hey, man■ he sat down next to Tom.

⌠Hey■

⌠This is loco huh?■ Auggie tried to get some conversation going.

⌠Yep■.

⌠It seems just yesterday when all Scott had to think about was his homework■, Auggie continued. Tom nodded. ⌠Can I ask you something■, he said carefully.

⌠I guess■, Tom replied.

⌠This business with Scott, look I don▓t know if it▓s just me but, it doesn▓t really seem new to you■, Auggie said.

⌠I, I don▓t know what you mean■, Tom knew what was coming next.

⌠It▓s just the way you reacted to it, I don▓t know, it just seemed to kinda bring you back, like into something you▓ve already experienced■, Auggie put his words out carefully.

⌠You▓re asking if I▓ve had a brain tumor.■

⌠It just seems like you▓ve been close to it, that▓s all, like in your family■, Auggie suggested. Tom looked down. He knew Auggie was onto him and now he had o tell the truth. Although he didn▓t think it was in Auggies character to push it out of him.

⌠My mom■, he said quietly, ⌠2 years ago, when everything went┘ crazy■.

Auggie knew then what happened next.

⌠She didn▓t make it did she?■ Auggie asked knowingly. He knew it wasn▓t any of his business but he had to know. Tom said nothing; he just looked to the floor giving Auggie the truth.

It had been a long day for all the Cliffhangers and finally they were allowed to see Scott. David was the first to step into his room. He had a lot to say to Scott and a lot to apologize for.

⌠So, um, how ya feeling?■ David asked, immediately wishing he hadn▓t asked such a stupid question.

⌠Like I wanna be alone■, Scott said angrily. ⌠Sorry to be so honest, just comes with the territory these days■.

⌠Look, I wanted to apologize for that whole debate thing, I feel like crap for doing what I did and believe me the others have been making it as hard as possible for me■, David said in one long breath. ⌠If I had known what was going on with you I would never┘■

⌠Apologize, David?■

⌠I want you to know how badly I feel■, he continued.

⌠Oh please stop■, Scott exploded, ⌠Stop trying to pretend that this is about anything else than you convincing yourself that you would give a crap about what you did if I wasn▓t sick■.

⌠That▓s not true┘■

⌠Sure it is. My god, please, if you come away from this with anything, let it be one ounce of self knowledge. You▓re the loneliest guy I know. Behind that sarcasm there▓s this, this desperate person who doesn▓t think he deserves anything so he hides his problems by making everybody else just as miserable as he is. Just making sure that everybody is so pissed off at him hat they don▓t even bother trying", Scott rolled over pulling his pillow over his head. As David walked out of the room he saw the others watching. They had heard everything. He looked to Anna for something to reassure him. But there was nothing. He walked off feeling lonely and frustrated. Scott was right. He was a jerk.

As David left Shelby walked in. She sat beside him. She had no idea what she would do or say and even just looking at him, made her scared of what he would tell her.

⌠Hey■, she said wondering what to say next. ⌠I just saw David, did he upset you?■

⌠I don▓t think David upsetting me is the thing that▓s gonna kill me do you?■ he told her angrily. He hated treating her like this but he couldn▓t let her see any real emotion.

⌠God, can you not■, Shelby said stressfully.

⌠Sorry, I must have forgotten to spare your feelings in all of this■, he said.

Shelby couldn▓t handle it. She knew at any moment she would burst into tears.

⌠I brought some stuff for you, a few magazines, some music■, she told him as she handed them over.

⌠He went through the cd▓s as he scoffed. ⌠Metallica. Great■, he said with sarcasm, ⌠That should keep the optimism up■.

Scott noticed a tear fall down Shelby▓s cheek. He couldn▓t do this to her. She was going through hell and he knew that. He looked at her sensitively and tried to hold her hand but before he could she pulled away.

⌠I▓m sorry■, Shelby cried before she left the room. She couldn▓t let him see her cry. She needed for him to know that she had hope. Scott watched as the door closed behind her. He picked up his pillow and through it across the room frustrated.

Ok. Chapter done. Next up Scott gets a visit from his parents while the others deal with pressures of there own.

Please review. And check out my other fic The High Life.

Signing off

me 


	6. Chapter 6

HIGHER GROUND

Painted Black

Chapter 6 it's Easier Just to Be Bitter

The sun shone down on the Horizon camp as Auggie waited for his birthday kiss from Juliet. They had arranged to meet early before breakfast so that they could have a minute together before the rest of the birthday brigade got to him, but as usual, Juliet was running late. It was a strange feeling for him, to be celebrating another year, yet all the while hoping his best friend would see his next birthday.  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry", Jules ran down the path as fast as she could to greet him. She kissed him. "I'm so sorry, Aug, We were all comforting Shelby last night and it got pretty late and I guess I must have slept in.  
"Its ok, you're here now", he kissed her again.  
"So", she produced a carefully wrapped gift from her pocket, "Happy birthday".  
"Jules, you got me a gift"  
"Of course I got you a gift", she chuckled, "Open it. I'm sorry; I know it's nothing great but…."  
Auggie wasn't expecting anything. With everything that was going on, the only way he remembered it was his birthday was because Juliet didn't let him forget it. He tore of the decorative paper revealing a toy car.  
"For your collection", she smiled. "I know its lame and you can get these things free in cereal boxes but"  
"Jules, its great", he smiled at her and kissed her. "Juliet?" The two looked up to find Ms Bowers staring down at them.  
"Mum", Juliet stood up, embarrassed. "What are you doing here"  
"I came to take you to breakfast", Ms Bowers told her simply.  
"Oh mom, actually, we were just gonna stick around here today, I mean its Auggie's birthday and…"  
"Honestly, you'd pass up breakfast with your mother for cafeteria food", Ms Bowers interrupted.  
"Its ok, Jules", Auggie said a little disappointed, "You should go.  
"No, it's your birthday, we're celebrating", Juliet told him. Auggie had to admit, he was a little impressed that Juliet was standing up to her mother.  
"Well, Augusto, maybe we could all go out for breakfast", Ms Bowers suggested.  
"Oh, you don't have to.  
"Nonsense, it'll be fun", Ms Bowers interrupted with obvious fake enthusiasm. "Besides, I need to get to know the boy my daughter likes so much"

At the hospital Scott came out of the bathroom after having showered to find a group of family members waiting for him. Matty had obviously left to let them talk or as Scott would put it 'lecture.  
"Wow, leave the room for 2 minutes, the place becomes a big old family reunion", Scott said facetiously as he threw his bedcovers over to get into bed. "Who are you"  
Other than his Mom and Dad, his aunt and uncle had also come to see him. He noticed a young boy about his age staring at him.  
"Honey, this is your cousin Mike, you remember him", Scott's mother replied.  
"No I don't", Scott said blandly. "Look I'm really not in the mood for a family gathering so could you all just leave me alone"  
"Please Scott", his mother urged, "You should talk to somebody, you can't keep all these things bottled up like this.  
"I guess that's what the shrinks for", he was starting to get irritated.  
"What about Shelby, when was the last time..." "I don't want to talk about Shelby", Scott snapped at his mother. "Scott's right", Mr Barringer said, "Stop pushing him, he doesn't have to talk if he doesn't want to".  
"Besides talking about my problems never helped before, did it dad?" Scott interrupted again. "You had to find you're trophy wife in bed with your lawyer before you believed me".  
"Oh not this again", his dad sighed exhaustedly. "Aren't we over this?" "We will never be over this" Scott said shortly as he noticed his other guests looked a little uncomfortable. "You guys are quiet. I guess the Barringer family history doesn't exactly whip people into a verbal frenzy".  
"Maybe we should go", his aunt suggested finally.  
"Maybe you should", Scott said icily.  
He figured once they left this whole sharing feelings thing would be dropped. Of course he was wrong.  
"Scott, we know this is hard for you..." "How could you possibly know how hard this for me", Scott yelled, surprising his mother, "I have a brain tumour, I'm lying in bed, I'm going crazy, wondering what the hell is gonna happen to me. Wondering if I'm gonna live or die and all you want to know is how I'm feeling? Not fucking good ok?" His mother and father had nothing left to say. They just stood there.  
"Could you just go, please, just go away", Scott shifted in his bed, trying to get comfortable. They'd finally given up. At least for today. Scott knew his mother would keep trying.  
"We love you honey", His mom knelt down and kissed his cheek before she left.

Kat was sitting in the gazebo looking out towards the soccer field where some students were kicking a ball around. It was one of her favourite past times to sit and not have to think about anything. Although with everything that was happening she was finding it very hard. Before she knew it 2 hands reached out from behind her and covered her eyes. She knew who it was straight away.  
"Guess who", said a male voice.  
"Oh god", she said in an annoyed tone, not turning around. "Brad, I told you, you can't be around here; someone might...oh its you".  
"Very funny", Hank bent down to kiss her. She smiled. "So I was thinking. Easter is coming up".  
"Oh don't make me think about it. Peter's decided to make parents week close to Easter so the parents can spend some time with us".  
"I know. And I have a suggestion", Hank said.  
"What's that?"   
"How bout I come and keep you company", he suggested. "Meet the folks".  
"Oh Hank, I don't know if we're allowed", Kat told him.  
"Not true. I've already asked Peter" "You did?" "Of course I'd only come if you're ok with it", Hank made sure to point that out.  
"Peter agreed to this", Kat asked again.  
"Mmm hmm" "You really wanna meet my parents", Kat looked at him in disbelief.  
"I'm gonna have to eventually right". She smiled at him thinking it over.  
"You're sure", she said again.  
He laughed. "Yes!" She sighed. "Ok" "Great", he said in victory, "So, is there anything I should know about your parents?" "Like what?" "What not to do, what should I do", Hank trailed off.  
"Trust me the only thing that's gonna save you is if you manage to turn into a saint", Kat explained. "My parents have never liked anyone that me or my sister ever dated".  
"Oh", Hank sighed, losing confidence.  
"They're just very protective, it's nothing personal", she tried to reassure him.  
"Yeah, I'm sure once they get to know me they'll..." "Oh no, they'll hate you forever, it's just, nothing personal", Kat told him.

The day had gone quickly and it was already lunch time at Horizon. The Cliffhangers piled in together and went straight to the food.  
"I swear the food here is getting worse"; Ezra displayed his distaste for the Horizon food daily. It was beginning to become a routine.  
"Oh it's not that bad", Daisy said blandly, "I'm sure the rats enjoy it" "Hey where's Juliet & Auggie?" Anna noticed that they were missing.  
"Juliet's mother arrived this morning. They've gone out for lunch", Ezra informed them.  
"Typical", Shelby said plainly. "Princess and Homeboy get good meals while we sit here eating vomit". She wasn't jealous of them. She didn't even care. But Shelby had put up a defence around her and even she admitted that she was being a pain. But she was at the point where she didn't care. She was constantly in a bad mood and the only way she felt anything at all, good or bad, was when she let everyone know about.  
"Nice", David put his spoon down. "That's my appetite gone".  
"I'm over this, I don't even feel like eating anyway", Shelby stood up and left the cafeteria.  
"This is getting to her huh", Anna stated the obvious.  
"It's tearing her apart", Daisy said in her usual dramatics.  
"It can't help that he won't let her see him", Ezra said. "Hey Dais, what happened with your father"? He was interested but mostly he just wanted to get off of the topic of Scott. It was depressing.  
"He left, he's coming for parent's week", she answered.  
"So things are going good then", Ezra asked, hoping for more information.  
"They don't suck", she gave him nothing.

"So Augusto", Juliet's mother began, "Why don't you tell me a little about yourself. Juliet had left to go to the bathroom which left Auggie in the awkward position of being alone with her mother.  
"Ah...what do you wanna know"?  
"Well...what do you want to do when you get out of Horizon?" She asked.  
"Um, I haven't really thought about it", Auggie said, knowing he sounded like a no hoper who had no direction in life. "I guess I just want to start fresh with my mom, maybe get a good job".  
"Oh? What sort of job?" she asked making this more of an interrogation than a friendly birthday lunch.  
"I don't know yet. Maybe something using my hands, I mean maybe a sign artist. If all else fails I'm good with cars".  
"And this will be back home so you can be with your mother? " "I really don't know", he was started to feel a bit pressured.  
"Let me cut to the chase. Juliet is smart. Who knows what she could do if she puts her mind to it", she told him.  
"I agree", Auggie said.  
"She's going to be attending one of the top universities when she gets out of here. She'll be with the finest young men. You really think you stand a chance?" "I think that's up to her to decide?" Auggie told her getting agitated. He was no longer afraid to say something wrong.  
"She deserves more than you", she said bluntly.  
"Again, that's up to her to decide..." "You are not good enough for her. I'm sorry but it's true. She was brought up to be the best she can be", Ms Bowers placed her glass down on the table. "She's been to some of the best private schools in the country and you...well" "I'm just a poor Mexicana boy", Auggie nodded angrily, trying to keep his cool.  
"I'm going to write you a check", she surprised him.  
"What? " he exclaimed. "You're gonna try bribe me now; I'm not taking your money".  
"It would sure help you mom and dad out", Ms Bowers said.  
"They would never except that if they knew where it came from".  
"So, don't tell them".  
"I'm gonna go", Auggie stood to leave.  
"You're making a mistake Augusto" Juliet's mother was angry but subtle, careful not to make a scene. "I could have her pulled out of Horizon".  
"You'd really do that just to keep her away from me"; he looked back at her menacingly.  
"I have to protect my daughter".  
He walked back to her, looking right into her eye.  
"Thanks you Ms Bowers", he said to her firmly.  
"You're saying you'll take the money?" "No. Thank you for making me realise that prejudice is still alive and well", Auggie was livid. "You know it's funny but, being stuck in a place where we're all made to believe everyone's equal, I must have just forgotten that outside our little hub, there are still people like you that are deluded enough to think that their better than others just because of their salary. You people make me sick. Oh and don't worry, I'll break it off with Jules but don't you think for one minute it's because of that crap you're spouting out of your mouth".  
"Oh then why", Ms Bowers tried to sound confident with the little dignity she had left.  
"Let's just say I'm protecting her too. I couldn't think of anything worse than her having to go through the hardest phase of her life with someone as manipulative and callous as you, excuse me". Auggie left furiously just as Juliet was coming back from the bathroom.  
"Hey, where's Aug going?" "I guess he had something to do", her mother told her trying to hold her head high. She had never felt so insulted in her life.

It had been only a day since their kiss and although, they had been in each other's company, David and Anna hadn't talked about it. They hadn't had the chance since the others were always around. David figured he'd better start it off so when he saw Anna reading in the mess hall by herself, he figured it was a perfect opportunity.  
"Hey" "Hey", she said normally. He hadn't expected that. He thought maybe it would be awkward.  
"How's...things? " he asked. She may not have cared but he was finding this hard. It would be so much easier if he could just crack a stupid joke. But he was trying to be mature.  
"Good", she said. Was she going to give him anything? It was like pulling teeth.  
"Just good?" he had nothing to say. "Amazing", she finally looked up at him and acknowledged him. That freaked him out a bit.  
"Good".  
She laughed quietly. "You're so bad at this being nice thing".  
"Well, you know you're not exactly helping", he was flirting now. How did he go from not knowing what to say to her, to flirting? Back to the subject.  
"So... about that thing that happened yesterday", he began.  
"What thing?" she was teasing him now.  
"That thing. Come on work with me here".  
"Ok, I'm sorry", she laughed. "Look, it happened but, you know I think we're mature enough to just let it go".  
"Oh", was he relieved that he didn't have to say anything or disappointed because maybe he did feel something. He didn't know. "You ok?" she asked.  
"Yeah. Fine", he said. "Ok, cool, so it's settled then".  
"Settled", she said getting back to her book. He stood for a minute taking it in. She laughed again looking up from her book. "Man, I think I liked you better when you were a jerk".

Peter and Sophie had stopped at the hospital to see how Scott was coping. He may have been able to stop his fellow Cliffhangers to stay back, but nothing could prevent his trusted leaders from visiting.  
"Your doctor told us you'd be starting your treatments soon", Sophie said.  
"Yep", was the only response Scott could bother with.  
"There here to help Scott", Peter told him, "Remember that".  
"How could I forget", Scott said.  
"I was thinking of organizing another visit from the Cliffhangers soon" Peter suggested. "I know Shelby's been waiting to see you".  
"I don't want any visits", he said firmly.  
"Scott, we really think it's necessary that your friends visit", Sophie urged. "At a time like this, you really need people around you who..." "Love and care for me blah blah blah", Scott trailed off exhausted. He'd heard it all before.  
"Scott..." "No Peter, come on. You devote your whole life to helping kids who've lost their way. You go out of your way to control every situation. Well I got an update for you", Scott raised his voice irritated. "You can't control what's happening to me ok Peter. So just stop trying".


	7. Chapter 7

Higher Ground

Painted Black

Chapter 7

It was a wintry afternoon at Horizon, the leaves on the tree's rustling as the wind pounded into their branches. As Kat came out from her dorm after a midday nap, she saw her peers sitting on a bench in the yard

"Hey guys", she sat down next to Ezra, "Whats going on?

"Oh, just the constant buzz of everyday life", Daisy replied dryly.

"Not a lot huh?"

"Hey, who's up for a game of ball", Auggie asked as he dribbled his basketball around the metre of concrete below the bench.

Well, not me, obviously", Ezra stated. They all knew by now, he wasn't the greatest at sports

"I almost wish I had homework to do", Anna sighed.

"Come on guys, one game", Auggie urged.

"I cant even be bothered walking", Juliet whined.

"Thats ok, twig, I wasn't asking you anyway", Auggie said icily. The others looked at him a little taken aback by his sudden attack on his girlfriend.

"Woah, whered that come from", Jules questioned him.

"Just saying", he said in defence, "why don't you whine a little more about it". With that Auggie took off, running to Tom.

"What was that about?" Shelby asked, curiosity getting the better of her

"Trouble in Paradise", David added, revelling in Juliet's misfortune.

"Not that I know of", Juliet walked off dumbfounded.

"Hey Tom, wait up", Auggie yelled after him. "hey"

"Hi"

"So, you in for a game of ball?" Auggie asked.

"No thanks", Tom replied.

"Ok, you just wanna hang out then", Auggie insisted.

"I got some stuff to do so..."

Tom knew the Cliff hangers thought he was wierd and unsociable. But he didn't care. He figured he was their new play thing and that all they wanted to do is squeeze any stories out of him that he might have about himself. The last thing he wanted to do was tell them about his life, just so they could forget their own.

Scott watched Matty, irritated as his room mate flicked from channel to channel on their community stationed only television. Easter was coming up and all their was on tv was shows about the Easter bunny and how to paint eggs.

"Hey, you like Easter", Matty said all of a sudden playing around with the orange beanie on his head, a staple accessory to him.

"No", Scott said bluntly. He didn;t really have a problem with Easter, or any holiday for that matter, but today, while he was in his hospital bed, he hated it.

"Come on, your telling me you don't get caught up in all that easter joy going around. The family get togethers, the food, chocolate".

"Family get togethers don't exactly get me hyped. Theres a reason we only see the relatives a few times a year", Scott said dryly.

"You really don't like Easter", Matty couldn't believe it.

"Just like Christmas. You start of with the awkwardness of seeing all those family members you never wanted to see in the first place. Then when they ask why they weren't invited to that wedding or birthday whatever it was that year, you have the crappy task of making them believe it was a mistake and that you wanted them there, when really it was your every intention not to invite them. Then an hour into dinner theres that idiot that inevitably gets drunk and makes an absolute tool out of themselves, while your mother decided to bring up that young woman that she saw getting out of your fathers car, and in the case of 1999 he stands up and angrily tells her his having an affair with a psycho 20 years younger than him. After your mother walks out in tears, the food gets brought out, black as coal and instead of laughing about it, you'll just sit there politely and eat it because you don't want to offend them. So by the end of the night everyones pissed off and just wants to get the hell out of there as soon as they can, your younger cousin, choosing to climb out the bathroom window and skipping the goodbyes, happy that he doesn't have to see them all again until Christmas", Scott stopped for a minute, realising he'd been rambling. "Like I said, Easter sucks, Christmas sucks, holidays in general. They suck".

Matty sat back in his bed. He couldn't understand someone who had that view of the world.

"You want to hear about my Easters?"

"No"

Kat and Hank were sitting in the gazebo just before dinner. Hank had just got off work and decided to see her.

"So, you looking forward ti parents week slash easter?"

"No", kat replied. "I just know my parents are going to want to talk about everything that happened at college".

"What happened at college?" Hank asked knowing he woudnt get anywhere. He'd asked time and time again, but the subject was off limits.

"Hank..."

"No, come on, I think you should tell me", Hank said.

"Your doing that cop thing again", Kat told him.

"I'm not interrogating you, I just don't understand why you cant tell me", he tried to ease her mind.

"Its really not that big a deal", Kat said

"Then you wont mind telling me".

"I just told my parents and they went mental ok", she reasoned. "hey, I have an idea, lets talk about you. You know it just occurred to me, I don't really know much about you at all".

"Well theres not much to know", Hank said.

"I don't know what your parents are like, i don't even know if their alive. Just tell me something about them", she said, turning the tables on him.

"My parents are alive".

"and?"

"And thats enought for today", he told her, knowing he was being a hyprocrite.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because", he put his arms around her", we have better things to do".

In the boys dorm, Auggie was lying on his bed reading a book. It was a novel, that had over 300 pages and he was pretty happy with himself.

"Hey man", Ezra said as he walked in.

"Hey EZ", Auggie said lazily.

"So..."

"So what?"

"So you were really nce to Miss Juliet today. I was overwhelmed by your kindness", Ezra quipped.

"Yeah, I think i'm gonna break up with her", Auggie said casually.

"Huh?" Ezra was now confused and worried for his friend, "I don't get it, you;ve done a complete 180 since yesterday",

"Yeah, well maybe I've just had a day of clarity", he told him.

"Clarity?" Ezra couldn't believe how calm Auggie seemed, "Have you been brainwashed".

"EZ, when I leave here, i don't wanna be known as the home boy whos dating the rich princess. I wanna be known as Augusto Ciceros, just doing his own thing you know?"

"Whatever man", Ezra gave up trying to understand, "your wierd".

Scott felt sick to his stomach. He had just had his first round of Chemotherapy and after getting back to his room he decided to take a shower, hoping that he would feel better. He let the cold water run over his face, it was hard for him to stand up so instead he knelt down. Why was this happening to him? He didn't want to face it. For the first time since getting to the clinic, he broke down, where nobody could see or hear. He sat in the shower for a while crying, tears mixing with the cold water, holding his head in his hands.

When he got out Matty was sitting on his bed reading a comic book. On his own bed was an Easter egg, wrapped in purple foil.

"You leave this here?" Scott stood over Matty's bed, hovering.

"What, you don't like chocolate now?" Matty closed his comic book.

"You think this is funny? Did I ask you to put this on my bed", Scott couldn't calm down. He knew that any other circumstance he would have eaten the chocolate in a second, no mater where it came from. "Just back off, alright".

"Just thought you could use a little Easter joy", Matty said. The guy was starting to sound like bad telemovie.

"Thats it", Scott threw the egg on Matty's bed, "I'm going".

"You cant leave here", Matty told him.

"Watch me".

"You know the first round of Kemo is pretty atomic, you'll wanna be here when your barfing up the cup cakes you made in elementary school", matty said.

"I don't need a lecture, thanks", Scott said.

"Who's gonna be there for you back there? Your friend Shelby, i saw you chase her away"

"Not looking for help. I'll do this on my own terms", Scott said stubbornly.

"This?" Matty said now feeling sorry for him, "You cant even say the word"

Scott swung his bag over his shoulder knocking over a vase. He almost pitied himself. Matty noticed how defeated he looked as a nurse came in.

"Everything ok in here"

"I have to get out of here", Scott told her.

"Well, thats not gonna happen tonight", she said.

"Well, then put me in another room", he demanded, "Now"

"Sorry pal, this aint club med. Its a hospital", she told him, "I'll deal with your request in the morning".

"So, your parents coming up for parents week?" david asked Anna. They were in the mess hall waiting for Peter to yell lights out.

"Yep", Anna replied, "your dad coming up?"

"Uh well I hope not", he deadpanned.

"You don't know yet?"

"I havnt spoken to him in about a month. I doubt he even knows about it", David told her.

"You should call him", she said, "you never know, maybe he wants to see you".

"Well, he;s had a lot of chances".

"come on", Anna said. David wondered if he had listened to him at all. The last thing he wanted as for him to come to Parents Week.

"Look, you don't know my father all right. If you did, you;d realise", he was getting a little agitated.

"Realise what?"

"Hes not a father to me", he was almost yelling, "He's the General. He doesn't care about me or what I get up to. He just pretends to when people are looking".

Shelby had been called to Peter's office after dinner. She wondered what was going on, maybe something had happened with Scott.

"peter", she knocked on the door and opened it, "You wanted to see me?"

"Shelby, come in", Peter sat up in his chair, "Close the door behind you. Sit down".

"Whats going on?"

"Nothing, nothing, I jut wanted to talk to you, see how you were feeling about everything", Peter answered.

Shelby sighed. She was sick of people wanting to know how she was feeling. Her boyfriend was in hospital with brain tumor and he wouldn't see her. How did people not know how she was feeling?

"Look, peter if I wanted to discuss anything, i would have come willingly", she told him.

"Shelby, I'm here for you. We all are. Whats going on with Scott is hard on everyone, especially you", he levelled with her.

"I'm fine Peter", she knew he only had good intentions.

"Its ok to show a little emotion", he told her.

Shelby smiled sadly at that. "Peter, if I could cry, I would, but I cant ok. I'm all out, theres nothing left".

Peter sighed. He wished he could get throught to Scott and make him let Shelby in.

"Ok", he said, "Well I just wanted to see how you were going".

"Like I said", she told him, "I'm fine. Can I go now?"

"Yeah, yeah, you can go".

The next morning Auggie was relaxing in the mess hall when Juliet came in.

"Good morning", she went to kiss him but he pulled away.

"OK", she suddenly felt worried, "whats going on with you?"

"Nothin", he said casually.

"Nothing?" she questioned, "You've barely said a word to me since your birthday, I mean except for the occasional insult that is".

They hadn't spoken about his moddyness with her yet, something that Juliet was ok with. She hated conflict. It was something she had grown up with. She had learnt not to question people, not to want to know anything that might hurt her. She'd just as easily get on with her life, in blissful oblivion. But Auggie wasn't making that easy.

"Aug, come on talk to me, please, your scaring me".

"Look, I think we should break up", he told her. He wanted to sound callous. He hated what he was doing but he wanted her to hate him, rather than always coming up to him to find out the truth.

"What?"

"Yeah, we're just to different you know", he said nonchalantly.

"Are you serious", it was like she had skipped the depressed 'what did I do wrong's' and went straight to the angry.

"Where ffrom two different worlds, you know?"

"Thats your excuse" she was livid.

"You're denying it?" he knew there was some truth to what he was saying. He also knew that their differences were part of the reason that they worked.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She scoffed, "Ok, you wanna break up with me, fine, but don't you dare use the excuse that we're from two different worlds. Because you know its not".

"You wouldn't last a second, where I'm from, you know that? Look at you, throwing up your food just to get a little attention from mommy dearest" he yelled at her.

"And what about you. Poor little boy in the hood, feeling misunderstood by the rest of the world so he goes out of his way just to get back at them. Your pathetic Auggie".

"Go away Jules", he said to her under his breath. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Gladly".

Scott was surprised to find Sophie and Peter in his room talking to Matty as he was wheelchaired in by a nurse. It really was true. Peter and Sophie took it upon themselves to look after the world, listening to everybody's problems. The only difference was that Matty didn't have to pay for it.

"My mom and dad got it yesterday half price", Matty raved, "Mom said I deserved to have something to keep me entertained when theres nothing on tv".

"I'm sure she's very proud of you, your father also" Sophie said in her sweet comforting voice as she looked up to see Scott. She noticed how pale he was. It took him a few minutes just to stand up. His energy had completely been taken away by the chemotherapy.

"Hey Scott", Peter stood up to help him. He tried to grab his arm to help him up but Scott slapped it out of the way.

"I can handle it", he said irately, "Thanks".

"Matty was just showing us his new playstation", Sophie changed the subject.

"yeah, you wanna have a go", Matty offered.

"No", Scott started to pull the curtain exhausted. He struggled to drag it across, huffing and puffing. He wasn't used to having no energy. Being the sportsman that he was, it seemed funny to him that he could barely even pull a curtain across.

"What are you doing", Peter asked.

"I am trying to give myself one square foot of privacy", Scott said still fighting with the curtain, every word he said left him out of breath.

"You may wanna try to conserve a little bit of energy. Your gonna need it after the treatment you just had", Matty said.

"Are you still talking?"

""Scott, relax", Sophie tried to calm him down.

"No, I won't relax. I am stuck here. I am sick of him and his fat little easter eggs and I do not wanna watch another tv show with a blinking number on the bottom of the screen", Scott lashed out.

"Ok, we should leave", Sophie told peter.

"No, no stay", matty insisted, "I'll go, its me he wants to get rid of". As Matty left Scott started to jerk the curtains across again, after Peter had pulled them open.

"Scott, he's sick too. Remember that", Peter suggested.

"How am I gonna forget it".

"I think what Peter means is..."

"Excuse me, what do you know about being sick?" he asked interrupting Sophie, "Tell me, what is your biggest problem right now? Trying to pick out a good time for a date?"

He finally got the curtain closed. He knew Peter and Sophie wouldn't open it again, instead leaving him alone. He crawled on his bed, lifting his knees as if they weighed ahundred pounds. He wrapped his arms around his legs as he rocked back and forward, crying.

Scott wasn;t the only one to shed tears. Juliet had ran back to her dorm to find herself alone, thankfully. But it wasn't for long.

"Do I hear crying?" Shelby asked as she walked in. It was her usual tone, like she was gloating at others misfortune.

"Go away Shelby", Juliet sobbed, "I'm not in the mood for your games".

"Um ok", Shelby wasn't used to hearing Jules sticking up for herself, "Wanna tell me whats going on?"

"No"

"Sure?"

"Shelby, why would I tell you anything", Juliet fell back into her pillow.

"Hey, I had dibs on being the bitch tonight?" Shelby grinned at her little joke. She knew she was known as the resident bitch. It wasn't as if they alternated.

"You always do", Jules yelled giving away the gag.

"Ok, sorry I'm a little slow, whats with the role change here", Shelby asked.

"Please, just go away Shelby".

"OK, you know what I'm in a wierd mood, like one where I feel like helping out people", Shelby said, "Why don't you tell me whats going on?"

"I don't want to talk to anyone", Juliet said hoping Shelby would finally give up.

"Boyfriend troubles right", it wasn't like Shelby to back down. Why should this be any different.

"What boyfriend".

"Uh, well unless you've been sneaking in some other idiot, I'd say I'm talking about that one that I caught falling out of a tree last week trying to get a glimpse of you reading", Shelby said.

"Auggie does not hang out in trees trying to get a glimpse of me reading", Juliet looked at Shelby.

"Oh right, that must be the other Auggie", Shelby quipped, "Jules come on, did you guys have a fight or something?"

"We broke up ok?"

"What? No way, even I don't believe that".

"Well, its true", Juliet told her.

"Why", Shelny was speechless.

"I don't know".

"You don't know?" Shelby was confused, "he didn't give you a reason?"

"He said we were from two different worlds", Juliet said.

"Uh well you know thats crap. Look no offence but I think you both came out of your set worlds the minute you took your first laxative and he stole he's forst spray can. I mean thats gotta be the lamest excuse ever", Shelby told her.

"Not helping here", Jules said.

"Sorry, look I'm just saying there has to be another reason. This is Auggie where talking about", Shelby said, "He knocks on our door like 25 times a day, have you seen his notebook, its like one step away from Stalkerville".

"Well, I guess he wont be getting to that town any time soon", Jules retorted uncharacteristically.

"Wow, that was a good comeback', Shelby laughed.

"Thank you", she said sadly, "Shleby can you just leave me for a while, please".

"Ok", Shelby finally gave in, "You know where I am if you wanna talk".

Auggie was on the court playing some basketball with David. They had also roped Ezra in unwillingly.

"We broke up", Auggie was telling them all about it.

"Oh man, you actually went through with it?" Ezra asked, making it obvious what he thought about his decision.

"Well, I guess it had to happen sooner or later huh", David was less surprised, "Cant stay with the same chick forever".

"Thanks for your support", Auggie said as he took a shot at the hoop, missing it by a hair.

"Hey, I'm agreeing with you here", David said.

"I'm not", Ezra said, "i think your an idiot".

"Its not such a big deal", Auggie told them, "You know, we broke up, end of story".

Scott was emotionally and physically drained as he stumbled out of the bathroom. Matty took his eye away from the television to see him leaning against the wall, barely able to stand.

"Dont think you can make it?" Matty said understandingly. He slid Scott's overbed table across the room without getting up. "Use this. I always leave mine outside the door".

Scott took the table and rested on it as he wheeled it to his bed.

"So, the nurse came by, said your moving to room 237", Matty told him.

Scott positioned the tray on the side of his bed and lifted his legs so he could lay down.

"You'll like it there. Your roommates got that 'I hate the world' thing going on too", Matty wisecracked hoping to get some sort of reaction from him. "He's cool though".

"Dont you ever get to the place where you just wanna yell stop, pull out the tubes, bring me a burger, let me, let me play some ball in the gym or something.", Scott said breathlessly in a tone that verified the fact that he was maddened by his current situation, "I mean don't you ever get to that place".

Matty was surprised. He thought for a minute before answering. "everyday".

Scott sat silent as if he was considering what he would say next. Weather or not he even wanted to say something.

"Why do you always wear that stupid beanie. Your not even bald", he said not really expecting a response.

"That depends on your perspective. If your taller than me I'm bald", matty said.

Scott suddenly felt a tear forming at the corner of his eye. Matty noticed as well.

"It grows back eventually", he told Scott sympathetically.

"I'm so not into looking like Mr Bubblehead", Scott welled up.

"Wait till the people on the street start staring", matty said. "Cant tell you how many times I wanted to clobber them.

Scott chuckled, a first for a long time. "What happened to turning the other cheek". He couldn't believe that a guy like Matty could cause any harm to anyone. Matty just smiled.

"So tell me about that girl", he seized the opportunity to get Scott to finally open up. "Shelby, was it".

"What do you wanna know?"

"You like her?" Matty knew to tread carefully. He could tell by Scott's face that he liked her. Maybe even more. Scott was smiling.

"Yeah, I like her", he said knowing it was pretty evident.

"Love her?" he was on dangerous ground now. Scott didn't know what to say. He'd never been upfront to anybody about his feelings, except for Shelby. And even that took a lot. He chuckled again embarrassed by the question.

"Ok, I'll take that as a yes", Matty smiled. "So why don't you let her visit?"

Scott sighed. "I don't want her to see me like this. She's been through enough".

"So you think she'll be happier if you just cut her off? Good plan", Matty said facetiously.

"She'll get over it".

"You really think that if something were to happen to you, she'd just get over it?" Matty asked incredulously. "Come on man, I saw her. She's scared to death".

"She'll get over it all right", Scott said firmly, "She'll get over it cos she has to".

Matty realised he had overstepped the mark. "Whatever you say, man".

"Whats with you anyway? Why are you always so optimistic", Scott asked.

"You think I've always been like this?" Matty said, "Nah, truth is when I first learned I was sick, I was exactly like you, you know, I couldn't understand why this was happening to me. I guess I made myself so depressed that i just wanted to stop thinking about it".

Matty adjusted his beanie. "I'm not optimistic Scott. I'm just good at letting people think that".

"Why?"

"If I don't worry, my family doesn't worry", he said simply. Scott didn't understand that. He never meant to think selfishly but he couldn't comprehend how Matty could think about how other people felt before thinking about he himself.

"Well your wrong there", scott said knowingly, "They worry, you just don't see it".

"See thats the thing. When I'm by myself, I think about it, when theres doctors and nurses and patients around, i think about it. But when they come and visit, and we pretend that nothings wrong, that everythings completely normal, when they come, it gives me one less hour in the day to not think about it".

Scott considered this. "Thats pretty screwed up man".

"I know, right", Matty laughed. "Oh lucky day".

Matty flicked the television back on. "The Simpsons. You like the Simpsons don't you?"

Scott rested his head on his pillow, lazily. "I'm easy".


	8. Chapter 8

Ok, so after about a year on hiatus, I have decided to continue with this story. If there is anyone still out there interested, please read and comment. I will be posting the rest of it soon. As always I own nothing but the story.

Higher Ground

Painted Black

Chapter 8: Parents Week

Though most of Horizons residents could have put it off, Parents Week had finally arrived. Tom watched as many of the parents stood up out of their cars, their kids, all lined up to greet them. He was one of the kids, dreading his reunion with his father.

"Can't wait huh?" Auggie crept up behind him, giving him a bit of a jump.

"What?"

"For your dad to come?"

"You think I'm like them", he asked referring to the kids down on the field waiting anxiously.

"Are you?"

"No".

"You're pretty shy huh?" Auggie said more passing comment than asking a question and waiting for a response.

"Not shy", Tom said, "Just know when to keep my mouth shut".

"I didn't mean anything man, I just...", Auggie hadn't meant to offend him, but it was pretty easy to do so with Tom, "Every so often I see you wanting to say something, you know, but you never do".

"State my opinion, you mean?" Tom was almost smiling. "That's the problem with people today, you know. Too opinionated. What makes them think people care?"

With that he left. Auggie was quite surprised. Even though it was cryptic Tom had actually let Auggie in on what he was thinking. He'd opened up ever so slightly letting him get to know him a tiny bit more. But Auggie didn't have any time to ponder. He's family had just arrived.

David's father had arrived early, much to David's surprise. They were one of the first family's in the mess hall. David didn't really know how it all worked. Were they just supposed to sit there and talk about what's been going on? They'd never done that even when he was at home. And it was almost like his father was actually trying.

"So, Mr Scarbrow tells me you're doing pretty well here?"

"Its Peter, Dad", David told him.

"He says your attitude has changed a lot", his father said.

Was that a question? What did he want him to say?

"Yeah, never better", David quipped.

"He tells me you've made some good friends here".

"Huh, well now he's lying", David said.

"Hey, David", Anna said from out of nowhere, "I guess your David's father, Hi, I'm Anna".

"Anna, its lovely to meet you", The General took her hand to shake.

"Uh, David, Peter just wanted me to tell you that there's a meeting with everyone scheduled at 2".

David nodded not making eye contact. For some reason it felt uncomfortable being around his father and Anna at the same time.

"She seemed like a nice girl", David father commented after she left.

"Well she's not", David lied, "She drinks like a fish, everyone knows she stacks gallons of vodka in her secret hiding spot, of course Peter knows nothing".

"Is that true?"

"Yep", David didn't know why he's said that. Maybe he figured his father would just move on and he wouldn't talk about her anymore if he thought she was an alcoholic.

"David, I want to level with you", The General begun out of nowhere. "I've realized my past mistakes and I came up here hoping to make a fresh start with you. You know, put all that stuff behind us".

"Little late isn't it dad", David couldn't take him seriously.

"Why should it be", his father said, "I just want you to give me a chance. I got you something".

"You're buying me off?"

"I just thought you'd like it, that's all".

It was a box that had been gift wrapped. This was surreal to David. He didn't know what to think about any of it. He unwrapped the box and opened it up. Inside was a pair of skates.

"I hope you like them, I noticed you looking at them ages ago when you were back home", his father beamed.

David just stared.

"I can take them back if you want, I just thought..."

"No, there...great", David said cautiously. "Thanks Dad".

"Still waiting huh?" Jules came up from behind Auggie. "Who knows, maybe they've realised what a complete jerk you are and decided not to bother".

Auggie just ignored her. Ever since they'd broken up, she was constantly saying smart ass things to him, trying to get him to crack. He wasn't going to take the bait. It was just too easy. She smiled sweetly to him as she walked past, her mother noticing the bitterness between them.

Juliet was angry. She wished she could be one of those girls who never let on that they were upset. Those girls that get dumped and continue with everyday life, ignoring their dumper if they ever came into contact. But she couldn't be. Every time she saw Auggie something came over her and she just wanted to hurt him, not letting him forget what he'd done. If a smart remark came into her head she'd say it to him and watch him flinch. The downside was that she was giving him the satisfaction of knowing how much she cared. Even as her mother babbled on about random things that had happened in her own life, Juliet was in another world, or at least in another location. With Auggie, by the docks, chatting about everyday things that couples talk about. All of a sudden she came back to earth as she realised her mother was trying to get her attention.

"What did you say?" Juliet asked automatically.

"I was just saying how sorry I am that you and that boy broke up", her mother replied. Did she hear her right? Or was she still in dreamland. Even if she had she knew her mother couldn't care less about Auggie.

"I don't really wanna talk about it mom", Juliet stated.

"Well I guess we should be getting inside for this meeting Mr Scarbrow has set up".

Kat had been surprised at how taken her parents were with Hank. It was like they'd known each other for years. Chatting away, they talked about everything from how the two met, to Hank's job as a policeman, even her parent's back stories. They were in the mess hall waiting for Peter to come in for the meeting. Kat looked around while Hank laughed at something her dad had said. Kids were arriving with their parents, coming from every direction. She wasn't used to seeing the mess hall so full. She noticed Shelby sitting with her mother, awkwardly, not speaking at all, waiting for it all to end. She sighed. She wished she could do or say something to make Shelby feel better but she knew the only person who could even begin to do that was Scott. Even Daisy had tried and failed. Shelby had retreated into herself these days. She was a ghost, pale and in the shadows, barely uttering a word to anyone. Kat couldn't begin to understand how she felt. But she knew that Scott not wanting to see her was agony for her.

Daisy sat on the couch with her dad. Since his last visit he'd been back three times and they were getting along better than ever. It was still awkward between them and every so often he would say something that would anger her, but she always knew her dad was never Mr. Sensitivity and she was learning to let things go.

"Hey Dais, Mr Libanowski", Ezra said as he sat down beside her on the couch, his parents standing behind him. "You know my parents?"

"Yeah, we've met", Mr Libanowski shook each of his parent's hands.

"Quite a day huh" Ezra said.

"I have no words" Daisy replied glibly. She watched on as Ezra chatted so easily with his folks and wondered if that would ever be her and her father. She doubted it.

She noticed Tom with his father, looking as uncomfortable as she did. Nobody had been able to crack Tom yet. He was a strange kid. Even Shelby had come out of her shell in a shorter time that what it was taking him to. Nobody understood it. Daisy was usually good at evaluating people but Tom puzzled her. One thing she knew, unlike the others, was that it wasn't that he was a shy person. Maybe he was but that wasn't keeping him from joining the rest of the group. It was more like he just couldn't be bothered. Maybe life had been too much for him so far and he'd just given up trying to be part of it. If that was the case and as horrible as the thought was, she couldn't help not understanding why he hadn't just tried to end it all. Maybe he couldn't even be bothered doing that.

Hank wanted to get Kat's parents alone. He never wanted to go behind her back but curiosity got the better of him. He supposed it was the cop in him. He just had to know why she pulled out of college with so much potential. He wished she would trust him enough to tell him. She should have known by now that wouldn't judge her. He only ever wanted to help her.

As Peter came in the mess hall fell silent as all the parents waited in anticipation for his speech.

"Parents, Guardians and students, Welcome to Horizon" he begun before going into a long speech about what Horizon aims to do and how it plans to do it. The students eyes glazed over as they had the heard it all before, however this is what parents week was all about and the parents wanted to know. After a long round of applause Peter then announced where everyone would be sleeping and gave them a tour of where they would all live for the next week.

It was late in the afternoon when Kat had left with the other Cliffhangers that Hank finally got his chance to press for answers. This would be his one and only chance as he was on duty for the rest of parent's week and wouldn't be able to see her or her parents until the bonfire on the last night. He didn't know exactly how to bring it up and he knew Kats parents weren't just going to give him the information he needed, no questions asked. So he decided to play it sneaky, immediately feeling ashamed of himself for doing so. Not only was he going behind his girlfriends back but he was conning her parents too.

"So, it's such a shame about college huh?" he started off shakily. "When she told me she was so upset"

"Oh, we know, we couldn't believe that she'd fallen again" Kat's mother said. Maybe this would be easier than Hank thought. It seemed Kats mother was looking for someone to talk to about it.

"She just seemed to be doing so well", Mrs Cabot continued.

"So there were no signs at all?" Hank pushed.

"Well, did you see any signs", she asked.

"No", he answered, "Kat and I lost touch for a while, when she was in college"

"Oh, we didn't know"

"We really are thankful for you Hank, you've really helped her through", Mr Cabot finally spoke. "I know her self esteem plummeted when she was told not to come back to college"

She was told not to come back? But she was a brilliant student. What had happened at that school that had made her get expelled.

"Yes, well, I'm trying to help her through it", Hank said, "She seems to be doing well".

"Oh, we've noticed", Mrs Cabot said, "It was hard to hear that she'd been caught with a bag of cocaine, I mean you never think that of your daughter"

He'd gotten his answer. That didn't sound like Kat at all. What had possessed her to take up cocaine? And why couldn't she tell him about it? Now he had what he was after he wondered if he should confront her or not. What good would it do anyway?

Auggie had just had the best meal he'd eaten all year. Home cooked Mexicana food made by his mother. Now he sat at the docks by himself. The Cliffhangers had been given some parent free time to talk and discuss the day with their friends. But Auggie just felt like being alone. However, that wasn't going to happen now. As Juliet's mother walked towards him he wondered what more could she want from him?

"Hello Augusto", she said in her usual formal tone.

Any graciousness she thought she might receive from him was gone the second he stood up and begun to walk away without a word, just a general look of disgust.

"Civility out the window then", she yelled back to him. "You know it may not feel like it now, but you are doing the right thing. Oh honestly Augusto, I just wanted to thank you for what you did..."

"You just wanted to thank me?" he spun back around incredulously. Both Juliet's mother and Auggie knew very well that none of this was for Juliet's sake and all for her selfish mothers, and yet she was still trying to spin it like she was looking out for her daughter.

"You really should have saved your breath", he said as he walked away. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Juliet, watching the whole incident. Great...how was he going to explain that one?

Scott was exhausted from his chemotherapy sessions. It was a struggle for him to even get out of the hospital bed in the mornings. Most of the time he didn't even bother until the staff made him. He longed for the company of his old friends. Oddly enough, he even longed for his bed at Horizon. Group, another thing he missed. He missed Shelby dearly and wished he could get over his pride and just let her come and see him. He knew it would be doing her damage to, what with all the not-knowing. Despite this round of thought, he was too tired to think most days. It was like his brain had turned into jelly, along with his limbs. Matty was surprisingly a good comfort. Scott was even getting used to Matty's initial weirdness. He guessed in that respect it wasn't unlike Horizon, in the way that these people were your only friends and if you didn't get used to them and if you didn't have them around for support, you'd go insane. Insane...he longed to go insane. At least then he could block out everything bad that was going on and live in his own fantasy world. At this point of thinking, Matty was wheeled in by the staff and placed into his bed.

"You're looking like shit lately, you know", Scott told him.

Matty just smiled, unable to talk. Sometimes it was just too hard for him to get a word out. Too much breath escaped when he opened his mouth. Scott had noticed that lately about Matty. It was like he was deteriorating before Scott's own eyes. But Scott knew that soon enough that would be him too. And soon enough, Matty would be good as new. Wouldn't he?

Juliet was curious to know what Auggie and her mother could have possibly been arguing about. Was it arguing? It certainly looked like it to her. As she approached him ready to question him she realised she could probably just go to her mother and ask her. But where was the fun in that? Just another excuse for her to talk to Auggie.

"Hey", she said in a tone that said straight up, 'don't mess with me'. "What was that about today with my mother?"

Auggie was sitting on the couch reading and was in no mood to chat, but he knew that this was coming.

"It was nothing", he said sombrely.

"Don't give me that, I saw you arguing with her", Juliet wasn't going to give up.

"Ugh it was nothing ok", Auggie said tiredly, "She was just giving me her opinion on our break up".

Juliet went quiet for a moment. "And what was it?"

"She thinks I did the best thing possible", he told her, not entirely lying. "Funny huh?"

"Yeah, well I guess he does get things right occasionally huh?"

"I guess she does", Auggie said bitterly before Juliet walked away.

Shelby had been sitting silently with her mother for at least half an hour now. They just had nothing to talk about. Every so often her mother would tell Shelby what Jess was up to, something she was very interested in. She was constantly worried about her sister. She knew that Jess was going through some of the exact same things that Shelby went through. Jess handled it better though. She had a level headedness that Shelby never had.

Shelby's mother also asked about Scott, something Shelby was dreading. What would she say? Nothing. Because she knew nothing. Only what Peter would tell her. Scott was doing fine; he'll be good as new. Right. Obviously Peter didn't want Shelby to worry.

"Shelby", Peter's voice summoned behind her. Usually she'd be happy to get away from her mother, but every time she heard Peter calling her, she would get an ache in her stomach. She was constantly waiting for the bad news. Scott wasn't going to make it. They'd done all they could and he was going to die.

"Has something happened", she jumped up immediately. Peter's tone was calm and if she were thinking straight she would know that he most likely was about to tell her that it was lights out soon. But she never thought straight at the sound of his voice. It was like alarm bells.

"No, everything's fine, but I was wondering if I could speak to you in my office, if that's ok with your mother?"

"Oh yes, of course, go ahead", Shelby's mother was probably just as anxious to get away from the silence as she was.

It was close to lights out and David couldn't believe he'd spent almost the entire day with his father and yet, they were still speaking with each other, with not an ounce of animosity. But that could always change. Sure enough, it did.

"Son, I've been thinking, as I said before I want to make a fresh start with you", his father begun.

"Ok", David said cautiously.

"Son, I want you to come back with me", he said. "Tomorrow, I know the transition won't be easy, but I think we're both ready. You're doing well here, all things considered; I think you would do well back at home".

David didn't know what to say. How could he get around this one without causing some big argument with the General. He was silent for a few minutes before speaking.

"Dad, you're right", he started, "Ï am doing really well here, but I'm not ready to go back".

"You're procrastinating here, David", his father said, "Can't you see that. This place isn't helping you; it's only making you sweep everything in your home life under the rug".

"Dad, you seriously think that?"

"Yes", he said matter of factly, "I do".

"Well, then obviously you haven't listened to me at all. Obviously you weren't listening to Peter in group today or me", he started off cautiously but couldn't help himself by the end of his small speech. He was angry with his father for just assuming that he could come to Horizon, see him for half a day and decide that David was fit enough to come home. But as angry as David was, the General had returned. David's father slammed down his hand on the table, angrily, making David jump back.

"I have been listening all day", he yelled enraged, "I've listened to people rant about how great it is here, and as I can see, it's a summer camp! This is a holiday away for you, well enough is enough. You are coming home with me whether you like it or not!"

"No I'm not", David said softly.

"Yes you are", his father came back bitingly.

"No, I'm not!" David rose from his seat. "You're right, I do like it here. Because there's no one to plan my life for me, there's no one to tell me what I'm gonna do, when I'm gonna do it..."

"You need direction", his father interrupted furiously, "You're going nowhere fast, son, and I won't see that happen".

"If I go back with you that will happen", David objected.

"When did you start to think you could disobey me? I am your father and you will do what I say", he told him.

David was trying so hard to contain his anger.

"You are coming home with me", his father repeated.

"No", David said simply but effectively, under his breath.

With that, his father walked off. David didn't know if he would see him again. He didn't know if he really wanted to. But he knew that nothing would make him leave the one place that made him feel better about himself.

Shelby walked into Peter's office. She mused at the neatness of it. She'd never realised how tidy Peter was, everything was in exact order, not one thing out of place. Even his ruler matched up to his notepad.

"So, should I start off?" she asked. She knew what he wanted from her. She had to tell him every day. "I'm fine Peter, everything's fine, the moment it's not, I will tell you".

"I want you to visit Scott", Peter told her without warning.

"What?"She had to confirm what he'd just said. She then noticed that her question had barely come out of her mouth, she knew she'd said something, but she never heard it.

"I think it's about time", Peter just stated.

"Has he asked for me?" she said, again she heard nothing.

"No", he said carefully, "Shelby I'm, I'm worried about the both of you..."

"I can't", she blurted out.

"Why not?"

"He doesn't want me there", she said simply.

"Sure that's it? Or are you afraid", Peter asked placing emphasis on the word 'you'.

"Why would I be afraid?"Shelby asked suddenly annoyed by Peter's intelligence.

"He's not...Scott right now. He doesn't even really look like that boy we know", Peter said as Shelby took that in. "I'm not telling you anything new here Shelby, you know this. The fact is he needs help. And I can't think of one person better than you to give him the support he needs".

Shelby now had tears in her eyes. "What if...what if I can't even recognise him, what if he's different?"

She wasn't speaking about how he would look, but what his personality would be like.

"He is...different", Peter told her, "but I know you can get him back".

Ok, More next time. Thanks for reading if anyone still is. Please comment. More coming soon, I promise.


	9. Chapter 9

Still going with this one anytime I feel like it. It's been a while but I promise it will get finished eventually. Read and review

All day the kids had been hanging out with their parents, spending more time with them than they had in a long time. They were exhausted by it all. Some of them had been dreading these 3 days o torture. But even then no one wanted to be the guy whose parents never showed. Tom was more or less bewildered by this place and the people he was stuck here with. They seemed to be brainwashed by this Peter guy. It was like all Peter had to do was tell them it would all be ok and the minions would all believe him. But Tom knew better. He knew that no one could ever fix his relationship with his father. And nobody would ever free him of the guilt he felt for his mother. At some point he had to stop caring. Peter would never be able to fix anything about Tom. Because Tom had given up on being fixed. He'd lost everyone. Even the one person he thought he'd have forever. But he and Jerri were over. It would never be the same. Not after that night. Not after she'd witnessed him do what he did. She would never forgive him.

The aroma of good home cooked meals filled the air as some of the Cliffhangers relaxed into the well worn couch in the mess hall. With his legs draped over an arm and a basketball balancing on the tip of his finger Auggie looked happy.

"What a day huh?" he asked no one in particular.

Ezra, who was propped up beside the couch playing video games chimed in. "I'm never gonna be able to eat again".

"Yeah, you're tellin me", agreed Auggie.

"At least we get to work it all off tomorrow", Anna said, a ball of optimism.

"Friggin A", David said sarcastically while trying to beat Ezra's monster on the video game. The last thing David wanted to do was take his dad on a hike through the woods.

"Oh, come on", Anna bent down from her position on the couch and rested her chin on his shoulder, "Was it really that bad".

Grinning playfully David looked at her and lost the game. "You could make it better".

Anna light heartedly slapped his cheek and continued to watch his monster being shot to death by Ezra who was making gun sounds with his voice.

"You ok Shelb?" Auggie peered over to Shelby who was sitting pensively in an arm chair. She didn't look up. "Shelby?"

"What?" she asked softly.

"You ok?"

Shelby brushed her hair away from her face with her hands, sighed not knowing how to answer and walked away.

"Maybe she heard from Scott", David offered.

"Maybe", Auggie said wistfully.

"Hey, where are the girls?" Ezra asked noticing the absence of Juliet, Kat and Daisy. The absence of Tom was nothing to write home about.

Auggie shrugged. He didn't want to think about Juliet.

"I mean, what the hell, you know", Juliet said exasperatedly. "He breaks up with me, completely out of nowhere, no explanation, no nothing and then I find him talking with my mom"

Daisy had been listening to this since her parents had left and her patience was wearing about as thin as Juliet's waist.

"Did you ask your mother?" she said boredly wrapping a piece of string tightly around her index finger cutting off the circulation and making it blue.

"Yes", Juliet spat, "She just said that it was her that went up to Auggie to tell him what a douche he is even though she's glad and she thinks he made the right decision".

"Any possible way that she's telling the truth?" Daisy pulled tighter on the string.

Jules grumbled, "You're no help".

"Wasn't tryin to be", Daisy said as Juliet got up and walked away. "How was my day, you ask? Splendid! Thanks for asking", she said to herself.

"So, what'd you think?" Kat asked Hank chirpily.

"Bout what", he turned to face her.

"My parents", she exclaimed.

He started walking again wondering if he should tell her what he'd found out. He decided to wait. "They're nice people".

"Nice?" Kat wanted more. She was so happy that Hank had finally met them and everything seemed to be falling into place.

"Yeah, nice", he laughed, "What do you want me to say, I wish they were mine?"

"Well that would be going a little far", Kat agreed.

Again he turned to face her. "You're lucky. I know you guys have had you're problems in the past but its obvious they love you".

Kat smiled as she stood up straight to kiss him.

It was getting dark as Tom walked the grounds of Horizon, as he did every night by himself. He couldn't fit in with these people even if he wanted to. If they ever found out it would be a nightmare. So as Tom thought, why even bother? As he looked towards the car park he saw a familiar silhouette. Was he imagining this? He blinked but when he opened his eyes she was still standing there watching him. As she came into view he was sure it was no trick of the light. It was Jerri. Unsure of how to react he stood there, waiting for her to come to him. What would he even say to her? What was she going to say to him? As she got closer but still at a safe distance neither of them spoke. They just stared at each other.

"Hi Tommy", she finally spoke. He opened his mouth to say something back but nothing came out.

"What are you doing here?" he tried again.

She smiled slightly, "I wanted to see you".

He said nothing for a minute before asking "Why?"

She looked to the ground, "I need a reason?"

Another pause from his side. "I missed you", she said almost pleading with him to say something.

"You shouldn't" he sounded harsher than he meant to.

"So this is where you've been staying", she said changing the subject.

"This is my punishment", he said facetiously, "summer camp with a bunch of screwed up hippies".

"You did nothing wrong", she interrupted him. She shouldn't have said it. She knew it as soon as she did so. It opened up way to many difficult things.

"How can you say that?" he said maddeningly.

"Because I see the truth", she was equally as frustrated.

"You see nothing", he said.

"No, I see guilt", Jerri got closer as she got louder. "Guilt for something you never meant to do".

"But I did!"

They'd caught a jogger's attention and Jerri sighed. The wind caught her hair and brushed it out of her face before continuing.

"I came with someone", she whispered.

"Who?"

She looked up at him anxiously. "You're father".

Scott had been asleep for less than an hour when he woke to the sound of doctors and nurses yelling orders to each other as they wheeled Matty out of the room.

"What?" he half consciously said as they blurred past him in a chaotic scramble. "What, what are you doing to him, where are you taking him".

When they wouldn't tell him anything he tried to get up. "What's happening? Tell me what's happening, please!"

A nurse held his arms to the bed while calling out to others for help. "Stop, it don't touch me, you can't touch me!" He tried to resist. From the corner of his eye he saw an oxygen mask being put firmly around Matty's mouth.

Another nurse held down his legs and started strapping him to the bed. "What the hell, stop it", he continued, "I just want to know what's happening to my friend".

He was so concerned for Matty he heard nothing from the nurses as they struggled to hold him down. A bit of "Help me hold his arm", and "He's panicking". The last thing Scott heard that night? "We need to sedate him".

"Tom" Ben Jacobz said as he came out of the shadows. Tom's father always did have a thing for the dramatics.

Tom was stunned silent. He could do nothing but look ahead at the man.

"What? No hug", his father uncharacteristically brought him into a big bear hug.

"Dad", Tom started before realising he didn't know what to say next.

"Yes son".

"Where's mom", Tom suddenly thought. "Who's looking after her?"

"You're aunt Millie is staying over", Ben said.

"Does Peter know you're here?"

"We knew it was late so we saw him first to see of it was ok", Anna offered before Ben looked at her and gestured for her to let them have some time alone.

"So this place making you better yet?" Ben said as tactful as ever.

"You mean has it brainwashed me into thinking I'm fine and you're the best dad in the world?" Tom argued sarcastically. "No".

"Well you can't keep blaming me for what happened".

"You know I blame myself more than anyone", Tom said under his breath.

"Good", Ben said before adding, "Cos it was your fault and you need to take responsibility".

"I do!" Tom said frustrated, "Dad, what are you doing here?"

"Its parents week", he said matter of factly, "What kind of father would I be if I didn't come?"

"I don't know, the kind of father I grew up with", Tom mumbled.

"Still a smart ass then?" his dad reached into his pockets and pulled out a small ring. It was his mothers. "She wanted you to have this. God knows why".

Ignoring his father's cruel words Tom took the ring. Silver with one lone diamond on it, he'd only ever seen it off his mother's finger once. When she was lying in a coma in the hospital.

"I'm moving her to a home", Ben said unfeeling.

"What?"

"She'll be in better care and I don't have the time to look after her".

"Too busy entertaining all your skanks, dad?" Tom said defiantly.

Ben slapped him across the cheek. "You know that's not true".

"Do I?" Tom brought his hand to his face. "For god's sake, for years you've been parading your whores around the house, right in front of her. Hey, it's not like she can do anything about it, right?"

"Well, whose fault is that?" Ben interrupted callously.

As the Cliffhangers exited the Mess hall for lights out, they heard the arguing. David stopped before Auggie forced him along. "Come on man, would you want everybody listening to you and your dad?"

"The guys a freak", David responded, "Maybe we'll find out what his deal is".

"Keep going", Anna pushed him out of the door and onto the path up to the cabins. "It's none of your business".

Tom was sickened by his father. "You can't do this, you can't send her to one of those homes, they're cold and clinical..."

"You should have thought about that before you put a gun to her head", Ben yelled over the top of him.

Tom froze. He suddenly became aware of his surroundings and who was watching. He'd never heard those words before. Everyone had always tried to avoid saying them.

"That's not what happened", he said under his breath, his eyes welling up with tears.

"Seems pretty accurate to me considering", his father was merciless. Tom hated him with every fibre of his being. "What, you're gonna cry now? You gonna cry? You always were a wuss".

"I was aiming for you!" he yelled, tears pouring out. "You, damn it! But mom, she was so conditioned to stay by your side no matter what, no matter what you did to her, or me. She wasn't supposed to get in the way. You fucked everything up! And you loved every god damn minute of it. I hate you. And I was aiming for you."

His audience was stunned. Auggie, Ezra, Anna and David looked on, unable to move. The silence was deafening to Tom. As he fell to the ground his father just stood tall, a small grin appearing ever so slightly on his face. His head in his hands he felt a pair of arms reaching around his back and holding him.

"Go home", Jerri demanded looking up at his father. "Go!"

Ben reached for his keys in his pocket and took off as if to say, 'job done'.

"I'm so sorry", Jerri whispered, "I didn't know he would do that, I thought he wanted to smooth things over, I'm sorry Tommy".

"He only wanted to hear me say it", Tom realised, "he only wanted the satisfaction, to hear me say that I wanted him gone".

"He's a psychopath", Jerri said grimly.

Gradually everyone disappeared and all that was left were the two, sitting in the middle of the football field, arms wrapped around each other.

The next morning the events of the night before were all anyone was talking about at breakfast. Those unfortunate enough to miss it were busy being filled in by their peers.

"So the guy tried to off his dad", David was typically unsympathetic as he shovelled mush into his ready mouth. "Actually, I like him more now".

"Wonder what made him do it", Daisy said in her usual sinister tone.

"We shouldn't be gossiping, you guys", Auggie had become the master of sensibility lately. "The guys obviously going through some rough shit".

"Oh Auggie, always showing how much you care", Juliet said sarcastically. This had also become the norm.

"Auggie's right", Anna jumped in, "show some respect".

For a brief minute there was silence as they thought about what to talk about next. But it was on everybody's minds, they couldn't exactly talk about the weather when this was going on.

"I wonder why he did it", Ezra's eyes lit up slyly.

"Ezra!" Anna exclaimed.

"Oh, come on, don't act like you don't wanna know", Ezra grabbed a French fry from his plate and bit into it.

Shelby sat quietly at the end of the table next to Daisy, who'd grown bored of the conversation and concerned for her friend.

"When are you going to see Scott?" Daisy asked.

"Midday", Shelby answered as she stabbed her food with her fork before getting up and picking her plate up off the table, "This is disgusting, I can't even eat this".

She threw it in the bin before taking off.

"She's really scared about seeing him, huh" Auggie said before the whole table went quiet thinking about their friend. So many things were going on, still. Parents coming and going, arguments, breakups. Life continued for the remaining Cliffhangers. All the while Scott sat in a hospital room, waiting for something to happen. It was hard for them to think about that.

Scott had been going crazy. All morning he stood outside his room asking anyone that would listen about Matty. Still, nobody told him anything. He was so worried about his friend, even when nurses came to put him in bed and told him to get rest, he'd just crawl back out and wait. Eventually the nurses gave up and just walked past him. Finally as Scott was sitting on a chair in the hall, biting his fingernails, a nervous habit he'd had since he was a kid, he saw Matty being wheeled out by some doctors. He wasn't conscious but he didn't have a sheet over his head. Scott guessed that was something.

"Wait, where are you taking him", Scott stood, yelling after them as they continued wheeling Matty's bed down the hall. "Would you please, tell me something!"

"We're moving him to a new room", one of the busy doctors turned his head back, "He'll get the care he needs there".

Scott paced around in a circle, thinking about that for a minute, repeating it over in his head. 'The care he needs'. That should have given him hope; instead it made him feel helpless. Matty's cancer was obviously progressing. That was clear. And they said 'care'. Not 'help'. If they said help that meant that they could do something to make him better. But care? Finally he made the assumption that what that doctor meant to say was 'He'll get the care he needs in his final moments". And while that was enough to take in, Scott couldn't stop the nagging feeling that that would be him one day very soon. He slumped back in the chair, a tear falling from his eye. He didn't want to deal with this anymore. Not another minute of having to worry about what would hit him next. His head in his hands, he let the tears flow freely down his cheeks as he sobbed.

As he completely let go of all the anger and misery he'd built up since he was a kid he heard slow footsteps coming up the corridor followed by a familiar but anxious voice.

"Scott?"

He wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him. But when he looked up, he saw her standing in front of him, sorrow all over her face. Any other day he would have turned her away. But today as he looked up at her, watched on as a tear escaped from her eye, all he managed to do was stand up and fall straight into her arms willing for her to make everything else disappear. Like only Shelby could.


End file.
